Let’s talk bats, microbes and cave maps! Rod Horrocks is a Physical Scientist and the Chief of Resources Stewardship and Science at Carlsbad Caverns National Park. He loves cave management, cave exploration, and cave mapping. This episode of Podcasts with Park Rangers gets into everything related to Carlsbad Caverns research!

Show Notes found at: https://www.virtualkamper.com/pwpr2/

Podcast Resources:
 

* Plan your next trip to Carlsbad Caverns
* Carlsbad Caverns: Finding Peace in the Darkness Podcast
* Patreon – We hope you love Podcasts with Park Rangers as much as we love working on this passion project! Consider joining our Patreon where we host exclusive content for our Patrons!
* NPS Carlsbad Caverns page
* Bat Projects and White Nose Syndrome
* Nasa Microbe Studies
* Lechuguilla Cave
* Review on Antimicrobial Resistance
* NPR Interview with Dr. Barton on antibiotic resistance

Topics Covered

* About Rod Horrocks
* What are Resource Rangers?
* Carlsbad Caverns Research – Bat Studies
* How Many Bats?
* White Nose Syndrome – A Bat Epidemic
* Bat Flight Program
* Lechuguilla Cave
* Research at Lechuguilla Cave
* Lint Picking at Carlsbad Caverns
* Cave Surveying (aka Mapping)
* Ranger Rod’s Love of Carlsbad Caverns and the NPS
* Lint Picking Volunteer Efforts
* Let’s Connect More!
* Disclosure

About Rod Horrocks
Carlsbad Caverns is Rod’s 4th cave park in his 26-year career: Timpanogos, Great Basin NP, Wind Cave NP, then at Carlsbad Caverns. Carlsbad Caverns was Rod’s dream job and his goal from day one in the NPS.
At the age of 7, he fell in love with caves. His Dad didn’t let him go into a cave once and it piqued his curiosity enough to check cave books out from the library – since then he’s been hooked.
He took a temporary job mapping Timpanogos Cave NM and made himself indispensable. The work paid off, and he became the park’s first cave specialist. He loves his job at National Parks: people are conservation-minded, he got to be at a National Park every day, AND he got to map caves — his self-proclaimed hobby!
What are Resource Rangers?
Carlsbad Caverns has a variety of resources: Biological, Archeological, Physical, and Cultural. There are archaeologists, biologists and cave technicians employed at the park who all work together to manage the park resources.