Our hero’s quest is far from over! This time, Emma dives deep underground, into the world’s longest cave system. What can she learn down there, and who will finally take the lead in the quest for the best?
Let’s tune in and find out.

We’ve got some exciting news! Guess what? Emma found an amazing cave system to explore. Thank you everyone for suggesting Mammoth Cave! It was a great idea.

Emma was super lucky to get to examine the world’s longest cave system! More than 400 miles of caves are down there, and they have many stories to tell – from ancient explorers to miners, and let’s not forget the number of different rare animals that call these caves home! Amphibians, Bats, Fish, Insects, Reptiles, and much more!

Emma shared a great trick on how to tell apart stalactites and stalagmites! Do you have other tricks to know which ones are which?

Let’s take a look at Ryan’s journey today: He went to visit Wind Cave, National Park. Still, he could have tried to learn about cave animals…

The Wind Cave national park is supposed to be a great place to explore. Underground, the Wind Cave is 154.2 miles long, making it the seventh-longest cave system in the world. It is known for its “Boxwork” walls – making the rock look like a bee’s honeycomb. Aboveground is just as interesting! You can find fields with bison, elk, deer, prairie dogs, and antelope.

So…why did Ryan not explore this amazing place more? He could have talked about the boxwork that the cave is known for or found some animals who spend time in caves. Actually… Can you guys think of any animals he could have talked about that live close to caves?

The next assignment is a tricky one Earth Rangers! Emma and Ryan need to find “a unique ecosystem unlike anywhere else in the world”. Can you think of an interesting area for her to explore, that’s not too far from Tenessee? Make sure to share your suggestions in the comments! Emma is counting on you.

Time for this episode’s trivia competition: The first person to type the correct answer to this Trivia question into the comments will win a “keep on ranging” podcast T-shirt for their avatar:

“What disease is bothering many bats across North America?”

Be the first to guess the correct answer! As always, the winner will be announced in the next episode’s shownotes.

🎺 Congratulations to Earth Ranger Audrey for being the first to comment the correct answer!!  🎺
The solution to “What class of animals do frogs and salamanders belong to?” is “amphibians!”
Be sure to check your inbox for the award code to receive your special t-shirt.

Know any unique nearby ecosystems that Emma can explore next? Let us know in the comments!
Careful – Don’t forget the no airplane rule!

Want to instead try your best with the trivia question? If you don’t have any ideas for either of those, I’m sure Emma would love to hear some cool animal facts to help inspire her! She needs all the trivia she can get to help her win the competition!