More than 30,000 people enter Lehman Caves at Great Basin National Park in Nevada each year, and every visitor unintentionally leaves behind a small amount of material. Fibres from clothing, hair, skin cells, dirt from shoes and objects that fall from pockets can accumulate inside the cave. The National Park Service says that this material builds up over time, forming a layer of lint and dust on cave formations and walls. NPS identifies several potential effects, including contributing to the dissolution of formations, creating unnatural odours, providing an artificial food source for cave life and affecting the cave's natural appearance. To reduce these human impacts, the park holds an annual lint and restoration camp in which volunteers work inside the cave. The programme is conducted during winter, when the cave is drier and there are fewer tours.
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