Popular New Mexico National Park Issues Reminder on Visitor Behavior After Snack Bag Incident

"Great or small, we all leave an impact wherever we go," the park stated. "Let us all strive to leave the world a better place than we foundPhoto byNPS

Carlsbad Caverns National Park has issued a reminder about the importance of preserving natural environments following an incident where a dropped snack bag had significant ecological consequences.

The snack bag, left off-trail in the Big Room, led to the growth of molds and attracted various cave-dwelling organisms, disrupting the delicate ecosystem. Rangers spent twenty minutes removing the foreign materials and mitigating the impact.

The park emphasizes that even seemingly small actions, like dropping a snack bag, can have substantial effects on sensitive environments. Visitors are urged to respect park rules and minimize their impact to help preserve the cave's natural beauty and ecological balance.

"Great or small, we all leave an impact wherever we go," the park stated. "Let us all strive to leave the world a better place than we found it."