Jenolan environmental monitoring program
The Jenolan environmental monitoring program, created in 2008, uses special sensory equipment to measure tiny variations in air and water quality at different sites around the karst environment of Jenolan Caves. While still allowing visitors to explore the caves, this allows scientists to protect geodiversity, ensuring conditions stay stable for future generations.
Read more about Jenolan environmental monitoring program
Jenolan Caves in the Blue Mountains may have developed over hundreds of millions of years, offering us a glimpse into a living past, but they remain extremely fragile. As people continue to visit the caves, one of the most popular NSW tourist attractions, they can alter the karst environment without even knowing it. This, in turn can, can damage the cave formations for which Jenolan is renowned, and can affect rare animals that rely on stable conditions to survive.
The first of its kind in Australia, as well as the most comprehensive, this program allows scientists to check that everything remains within an acceptable range, including temperature, carbon dioxide, pH levels and several other indicators of environmental health. This ensures the geodiversity and biodiversity of Jenolan Caves will remain protected for many generations to come.