Kelly Smallwood often goes where few have gone before - identifying, mapping and photographing an underground world that sometimes has never before been viewed by humans. Her efforts make these areas more accessible, while also improving and preserving their delicate ecology.
Q & A
How long have you been interested in caving and what first got you into it?
One of my older sisters and her husband both used to cave before they had children. They got my ex-husband interested who then got me into it. At first I used to think they were crazy and that I would never go underground with them. But then curiosity got the best of me and I decided to try it out. From the first time I went into Hurricane Cave in Georgia ten years ago I have been hooked. It's in my blood to be a caver. Caves excite me and make me feel at home all at the same time. Caving is one of those things you either love or hate and you certainly cannot be afraid to get dirty!
Where are some of your favorite local caves and what makes them special?
I always like to say my favorite cave is the last one I visited. Each year I easily visit a hundred or so caves and each one offers different things. Some have beautiful 100-foot plus pit entrances that you can sit at the bottom of and admire sunbeams coming into for hours, while others have beautiful formations or fossils, and some have huge borehole passages that are 100 feet wide and 30 feet tall. It is amazing to be in a cave and speculate what it once looked like many thousands of years ago when it was being formed. To imagine all the water it took to form it and what that must have looked like. For some people, including myself, caving can be a spiritual experience.
The most amazing cave formation-wise that I have been to is Glory Hole in South Georgia. It is a wonderland of pure white calcite formations.
Outside our region, where else have you gone caving and where is your favorite location?
Other than TAG (Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia), I have been caving in Colorado, West Virginia, Kentucky, Florida and Arizona. Out of those my favorite would be West Virginia and I would like to eventually go back and do some more caving there. I would also like to one day experience caving in foreign countries.
Cavers are kind of like anglers about sharing their best spots. Do you have a secret place that you would never share with anyone else?
One thing I quickly learned when I first started caving is a lot of cavers are secretive. Cavers tend to be secretive in order to protect the cave's fragile environment and sometimes the landowners. Some caves can also be very dangerous and unstable, therefore you do not want a lot of people visiting it. Each person or group no matter how big or small will leave some type of impact on a cave. This also raises the potential risk for formations and caves to be damaged. I would encourage all new cavers and anyone interested in caving to seek out a local grotto in their area. It is here that they will be awakened to the world of caving and all that it has to offer. A lot of people do not realize that there is a caving community and I have met many wonderful people and lifelong friends through my activities within grottos and the National Speleological Society.
Also, when we are working on a project we do not always share where we are surveying, especially if it is a virgin cave. A virgin cave is one where no one else on Earth has ever stepped foot into.
As the chairperson of the Sewanee Mountain Grotto, what are some of the main goals of the group?
When the grotto was reformed back in 2005, we set two main goals of Conservation and Survey. Since that time the grotto has partnered with the SE RA Karst Task Force and helped to remove over 100,000 pounds of garbage from the Russell Cave Watershed alone (Russell Cave is a National Monument located near Bridgeport, Ala.). There are also many other watersheds, karst areas, and caves that the grotto has participated in helping to clean up throughout our region. We have easily picked up hundreds of thousands of pounds of garbage including tires, paint cans and household appliances. The Sewanee Mountain Grotto has received numerous local, regional, and national awards for all our hard work and dedication. The most recent awards we have received are the Alexis Harris Conservation Award which we received at the 2013 Annual Meeting for the Southeastern Regional Association of the NSSSS and a Certificate of Merit from the NSSSS in 2012 for our continuous conservation efforts in the Russell Cave Watershed.
Vitals
Occupation:I work in the Procurement department at Ferrara Candy Company in Chattanooga, Tennessee. I assist in purchasing packaging and raw materials.Family:Daughter, Dakota, 11, and boyfriend, Jason Hardy.Favorite music:World MusicFavorite local restaurant:Moe'sHobbies:Caving, rappelling, photography, hiking, camping, canoeing.How long have you lived in Chattanooga:I actually live near Lake Nickajack and the mountains in Jasper. I have been living here for 18 months and commute to Chattanooga for work. It was always my dream to eventually move to Tennessee.Favorite thing about Chattanooga:The scenery and all the options for outdoor activities.
Regarding survey, the grotto has collectively surveyed more than 40 caves and produced maps for each of them. We have surveyed numerous miles of passage and actively encourage others to survey by teaching them if necessary. We turn all of our completed maps into each State Cave Survey and also provide copies to the landowners. It is very rewarding to be able to provide a landowner with a copy of a map of a cave on their property.
Each year over Labor Day weekend, our grotto hosts a caving event that we call Sewanee Mountain Cave Fest. It is during this weekend that we have our annual fundraising auction to generate funds for our continued conservation and survey efforts within our region.
Advocacy plays a big part in many outdoor sports, but it seems even more important with caving because of the delicate balance within those habitats. What are some of the top concerns you believe need addressing?
Making sure that newer cavers are prepared and educated on the dangers that are involved with
caving and the conservation of caves. Many new cavers' first experience in a cave is sometimes
without a helmet and not being dressed properly for the environment. Caving is not something that comes natural to a human. There are many dangers involved that could leave one in a serious accident or worse, including death. As a caver, one thing I have learned is to never take offense if someone offers you safety advice. It is all too often that when one becomes complacent or allows their ego to get in the way that an accident can happen.
How much has white-nose syndrome affected access to caves in our area?
Since 2006 cavers across the nation have watched WNS spread state by state from the northeast down to the south. Several years ago, the state of Tennessee closed all caves on state-owned land. This is unfortunate because it is keeping the responsible cavers out while allowing locals who don't know about it continued unchecked access to go in and in some cases vandalizing caves with spray paint and breaking formations. Thankfully for now, Alabama and Georgia have continued to keep the caves on public land open for access. WNS was confirmed in Hamilton County last winter in a cave on Lookout Mountain owned by the National Park Service. It was also confirmed in Franklin County. Within the past week it has been confirmed in Marion County along with many other Tennessee counties and even some in Georgia. The majority of caves throughout our region are owned by private citizens and the US Fish & Wildlife Service cannot force mandatory closures of caves on private land. It is up to each individual owner to determine if they want to allow access into their cave(s). Fortunately for us we have some of the best landowners and they continue to allow us access. This in turn has allowed us to continue our conservation, survey and exploration of caves within our region.
Your photography exposes people to an underground world many will never see. What is the reaction to your work and do you feel it helps people appreciate these spaces more?
When I first began caving, I was using an old 35mm camera. Like most, I was just tourist caving and taking photos as I went. I started spending more time taking my photos and soon realized it was time to go digital. Nathan Williams, whose work I have always admired, put a post out for a trip to Tumbling Rock so I got in on it. That day he showed me a few tips and tricks and my photography has continued to progress since. I have always felt natural taking photos, like my camera is just an extension of my hand and eyes. I like to go for obscure angles and take macro shots. Most importantly to me, I want people to see things exactly how I saw them so I do not digitally alter my photos in any way. My photos have graced the cover of two issues of the National Speleological Society News and I have received ribbons at the NSS Convention for some of my photos. I realize that the majority of people and even a lot of cavers will never see firsthand a lot of the places I visit. Therefore, I have always enjoyed sharing my work. I post a lot of my photos on my Flickr site at www.flickr.com/undergroundearth.
What is the most rewarding part of caving for you? I would have to say project caving is very rewarding for me and I really enjoy surveying. There is nothing better than the feeling of providing a landowner with a map of a cave on their property and even pictures to go with it. You also build a lot of trust and great friendships with the people you survey with. I have been surveying with the Sewanee Mountain Grotto pretty much since I joined and I've helped on mile-long projects to the occasional pit reading instruments and setting stations. Some of the larger grotto projects that I have worked on are Doodlebug Hole in Jackson County, Alabama, Dixie Drop also in Jackson County and Solution Rift in Marion County, Tennessee. Jason and I are currently working on another project in Jackson County and we have surveyed over a mile of virgin borehole.