Save the snails!

[fern]

rock climbing cuts mollusk diversity

 

a new study from Wisconsin by the same team which studied climber impact on Niagara Escarpment flora.

[mattp]

While it does seem kind of funny to think that some biologists are worried about snails being killed by rock climbers, they pointed out in the discussion of the Niagra Escarpment that it is only now that the vertical cliffs are seeing any traffic whereas every square foot of flat land in the East has been logged and stomped into submission long ago. I'm willing to believe there is something rare and special about the White Cedars on the Niagra Escarpment, or that maybe there are some snails who like the cliffs around Devil's Lake. At Little Si, I know that the DNR or whoever it was (State of Wa. I think) asked Brian Burdo not to set climbs ascending to the top of the main wall because there were some relatively rare plants growing up there. I believe he honored that request and this was seen as a showing of good faith that did a great deal for the relationship between climbers and the local authorities.

[fern]

weren't there some other posts on this thread before? I saw

some I thought were funny and harmless. I guess someone must

have been deeply offended though.

 

I wonder why this particular researcher seems to focus in

on rock-climbing related studies, first Niagara Escarpment, now

Wisconsin. I think he even posted here a few times asking for

other info. Is he a climber himself and trying to assuage some

catholic guilt? it is curious.

The quote in the article that raised my eyebrows was the rather

dissmissive one by the Access Fund person ... just one study

... who cares about the snails anyways ... too small to eat.

[Alpine_Tom]

The ironic thing is that the snails that are busy chewing up the gardens in California aren't native, they were brought into the country by a french chef specifically for eating! And the small slugs that are busy in your gardens around here are also (accidental) imports.

While I do think it's important for people to minimize their activities outdoors, it seems like the public is quite ready to tell climbers to keep off those rocks because you're hurting the moss (or the snails, or the birds), but when it's the Zebra Mussel, West Nile Virus, SARS, or gypsy moths, the response is, "oh, well, that's commerce. Nothing to be done about it."

[mattp]

Agreed, Tom. The general public thinks "commerce good; climbing crazy" -- but it is generally not the public so much as it is the land managers or specific user groups with a competing interest who are behind the closures of climbing areas for whatever reason. And for most land managers, I bet, climbing is not overall a "good" thing from their self-interested point of view, so it would not be surprising to see them think to theirselves, when in doubt close it.