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Save Andy!
Q.
Who is Andy?
A.
"Andy" is the Hupp's Hill mascot, a rare form of
subterranean animal known as an amphipod. He belongs to the
family known as the stygobromids, a group of fresh water crustaceans
which live in the total darkness of the underground environment. Q.
Why is Andy so important? A. Andy is
UNIQUE. His species is known to live ONLY in caverns that lie
beneath Hupp's Hill, and nowhere else on the entire planet
earth! He represents a line of evolution that branched away from
other related amphipods dwelling in the Shenandoah Valley tens of
thousands, perhaps even millions of years ago. Q.
How much do we know about Andy's kind? A. We
know very little. Andy is so new (he was only first discovered
by cave explorer David Hubbard in 1992) that he hasn't even been
properly described and named by a scientist yet. He is currently
under study by Dr. David Holsinger of Old Dominion University. Q.
Where does Andy live? A. In the many
interconnected caverns that honeycomb Hupp's Hill. He has been
found in both Crystal Caverns, and Hupp's Hill Keyhole Cave (Little
Hole), which lies near the western border of the Wayside property. Q.
Will the development of Hupp's Hill western slope affect Andy? A.
Yes, because it may cut off the vital supply of water so necessary to
Andy's survival. The amphipod family that Andy belongs to, lives
in the crevices and cracks of the walls and ceilings of caves.
The water they need for their existence comes strictly from the
surface, from rainfall runoff percolating through the ground and
eventually into the caves. If the western slope of Hupp's Hill
is paved over, the water which would normally percolate into the caves
will be diverted away into storm sewers and catchment ponds. It
will never reach the caves. Q.
Why should we
worry about Andy's future? A. All unique forms
of life are important. But this creature, though humble, is
unique to OUR region here in the lower Shenandoah Valley, and
especially to Hupp's Hill and Strasburg. If Andy goes extinct,
it is through our not being willing to help protect his unique home. Q.
Are there more reasons to protect Andy's home? A.
Absolutely! Hupp's Hill is one of the most historically
important places in the Strasburg region. It saw the passage of
armies and many important people. Stonewall Jackson's army
camped there twice. In fact, an entire Confederate division
(over 7,000 men!) were lined up for battle on the very ground that is
currently threatened by development. The entire Confederate
artillery force entered the Battle of Cedar Creek (October, 1864) from
Hupp's Hill, as did a large force of Confederate Infantry. The
last organized Confederate resistance during the Battle of Cedar Creek
took place on the slopes of Hupp's Hill, especially the western
slope. So, in a real sense, a good part of that battle started
and ended at Hupp's Hill. If we lose that land to development,
we can never get it back again, and future generations will no longer
be able to understand our history as we can today. |
