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Date
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Location
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Comments
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May 23, 2008
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May 26, 2008
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Kentucky Speleofest – Hosted by the Louisville Grotto at the ever-improving and shady Lone Star Preserve, Hart Co. KY.
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Website
Kim Gentry
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May 29, 2008
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Jun 01, 2008
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DEEP & PUNKIN PRESERVE – Announcing an opportunity to be a part of an enduring, long-lasting edifice for cavers long into the future. The TCMA is in need of help, skilled and unskilled alike, all are welcomed. The weekend of May 29 to June 1, 2008 at the Punkin & Deep cave preserve, we WILL be raising the steel for the new addition. We need folks to help with the steel and the wood.
If you are not comfortable with that we still need you! We need folks that are willing to give support to the people who are working the steel and wood.
There will be cave trips running that weekend too.
Bring your tools, leather gloves, eye protection, and five gallons of water to drink and shower with. If you have access to any amount of scaffolding please bring it.
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Website
Geary Schindel
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Jun 01, 2008
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Jun 08, 2008
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Cave Ecology - Mammoth Cave, KY – Western Kentucky University, through the Center for Cave and Karst Studies and in cooperation with Mammoth Cave National Park, offers a series of oneweek summer courses/workshops focusing on caves, karst, and cave exploring. While some require previous subject knowledge, some are designed for those with merely an interest in caves.
Dr. Horton Hobbs III – Caves and other subterranean voids are unique in that they lack light and, therefore, most are not capable of producing food. Consequently, these dark, energy-poor, extreme environments impose a suite of restrictions on organisms cave fauna as well as the evolution of cave-adapted organisms. We
shall examine the cave productive surface world on the dark, consumptive cave environment. Morning sessions will be interactive lectures and afternoons and most evenings will be spent in the field, observing surface and subsurface ecosystems of the Mammoth Cave System. Small group mini-projects will be conducted utilizing the scientific method to test hypotheses related to the ecology of caves. A “symposium” will be presented. Participants should be in good physical condition and prepared for strenuous activity above and below ground throughout the week.
Registration: Graduate, Undergraduate, or Workshop
Registration: Graduate, Undergraduate, or Workshop
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Website
Lisa Lynn Haynes
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Jun 08, 2008
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Jun 14, 2008
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Karst Geomorphology - Mammoth Cave, KY – Western Kentucky University, through the Center for Cave and Karst Studies and in cooperation with Mammoth Cave National Park, offers a series of oneweek summer courses/workshops focusing on caves, karst, and cave exploring. While some require previous subject knowledge, some are designed for those with merely an interest in caves.
Dr. Darryl Granger with Joe Meiman – This course will be an intensive study of karst landscapes and will emphasize current thinking on the processes at work shaping them. We are fortunate to have as our laboratory one of the great karst landscapes of the world, and we will, therefore, be in a unique position to gain a deep appreciation of these fantastic landscapes through a combination of field and classroom study. The new view of the landscape provided by such a study can be profoundly enriching, and indeed enhance the karst experience. Because caves are a major element of the karst landscapes, both in terms of process and of form, their origin and morphology will be a major emphasis. Accordingly, we will spend a significant part of the week underground in the Mammoth Cave System as well as other caves. At least one previous course in geology is required, although appropriate concepts will be reviewed. The course will involve strenuous cave trips and hiking; therefore, participants must be in excellent physical condition.
Registration: Graduate, Undergraduate, or Workshop
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Website
Lisa Lynn Haynes
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Jun 08, 2008
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Jun 14, 2008
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Exploration of Mammoth Cave - Mammoth Cave, KY – Western Kentucky University, through the Center for Cave and Karst Studies and in cooperation with Mammoth Cave National Park, offers a series of oneweek summer courses/workshops focusing on caves, karst, and cave exploring. While some require previous subject knowledge, some are designed for those with merely an interest in caves.
Dr. Stanley D. Sides – This course is an intensive study of the discovery, exploration and development of the caves and karst features of the Mammoth Cave region that resulted in integration of the caves into the world’s longest
cave system. The forces that stimulated exploration, such as saltpeter mining, regional
commercialization of show caves, national park development, and scientific research are examined. Illustrated lectures, handouts, and maps are used to promote understanding of the caves prior to daily field trips. Many underground trips follow tourist trails closed long ago to the public, while other trips require strenuous walking and crawling in undeveloped passages on trips lasting 6-8 hours. This year the course will emphasize recent research on the history of the many regional show caves that competed
with Mammoth Cave after the end of the Civil War. Usually the class repeats of the connection routes
made by previous explorers between one entrance and another in Mammoth Cave. Participants must be in good physical condition.
Registration: Graduate, Undergraduate, or Workshop
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Website
Lisa Lynn Haynes
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Jun 15, 2008
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Jun 21, 2008
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Speleology - Mammoth Cave, KY – Western Kentucky University, through the Center for Cave and Karst Studies and in cooperation with Mammoth Cave National Park, offers a series of oneweek summer courses/workshops focusing on caves, karst, and cave exploring. While some require previous subject knowledge, some are designed for those with merely an interest in caves.
Roger Brucker – Not just an introductory caving course, Speleology delves into the basics in cave science that lead to insight and understanding essential in making discoveries. It is an experience in which extensive cave trips tie together hydrology, geology, biology, and ecology by the use of discovery techniques such as exploration and cave surveying. These tools and techniques such as used by the Cave Research Foundation in the exploration of the world’s longest cave, allow participants to understand caves anywhere and to make significant discoveries of their own. Field trips are
strenuous, involving long trips into rarely visited portions of the cave system, including making
connections between caves as described in The Longest Cave. Participants must be in excellent
physical condition, however, no prior caving experience is required.
Registration: Undergraduate, or Workshop
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Website
Lisa Lynn Haynes
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Jun 15, 2008
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Jun 21, 2008
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Cave Surveying and Cartography & GIS - Mammoth Cave, KY – Western Kentucky University, through the Center for Cave and Karst Studies and in cooperation with Mammoth Cave National Park, offers a series of oneweek summer courses/workshops focusing on caves, karst, and cave exploring. While some require previous subject knowledge, some are designed for those with merely an interest in caves.
Pat Kambesis – Cave maps and inventories are fundamental to the understanding of cave and karst environments. This course will focus on in-cave data collection (with an emphasis on sketching), cave resource inventories, constructing survey data/inventory databases, creating maps and transforming the data maps into GIS format. Techniques for collecting cave survey and inventory databases will be examined with emphasis on obtaining the most useful data in the field. Surface geophysical techniques pertinent to locating and mapping caves.
Registration: Graduate, Undergraduate, or Workshop
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Website
Lisa Lynn Haynes
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Jun 15, 2008
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Jun 21, 2008
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Cave and Karst Resource Management - California – Western Kentucky University, through the Center for Cave and Karst Studies and in cooperation with Mammoth Cave National Park, offers a series of oneweek summer courses/workshops focusing on caves, karst, and cave exploring. While some require previous subject knowledge, some are designed for those with merely an interest in caves.
Joel Despain and Dr. Rick Toomey – This intensive course includes practical and hands-on instruction concerning cave management
practices. AKA, ‘cave specialist 101.” It is designed for state and federal land managers, private preserve managers, and members of cave conservancies. The class will include three
field trips to examine relevant topics in context. Topics covered include managing volunteers,
cave gates, cave inventories and monitoring, cave management plans, relevant laws, cave
restoration, cave survey and new cave discoveries, cave scientists and the manager,
recreational cavers and much more.
Registration: Graduate, Undergraduate, or Workshop
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Website
Lisa Lynn Haynes
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Jun 21, 2008
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ROBBER BARRON CAVE – The long running Restoration Project at TCMA's Robber Baron Cave is nearing its completion!
This project has been ongoing since 2003 and has involved:
- modification to the sinkhole to create amore natural entrance conditions to enhance species habitat,
- re-landscaping the sinkhole and property to remove exotic vegetation and restore native plants,
- promoting educational use of the entrance area,
- correcting and improving conditions at Robber Baron Cave that TCMA inherited from the previous owner,
- and more than 3200 combined volunteer hours, $12,000 in donations, and $16,500 in grants.
WE STILL NEED YOUR HELP! Plan to come to one of the remained work days and help us make the final push to finish this project and then plan to come and celebrate its completion!
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Website
Joe Mitchell - Project Manager
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Jul 17, 2008
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Jul 20, 2008
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KARST-O-RAMA – The Greater Cincinnati Grotto invites you to attend the 2008 Karst-O-Rama at the Great Saltpetre Cave Preserve in Mount Vernon, Kentucky.
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Website
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Jul 26, 2008
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Jul 27, 2008
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High Guads Restoration Project (Carlsbad, NM): Annual rescue practice???? – On-going work amid spectacular scenery in beautiful caves of the Lincoln National Forest. Last weekend of the month, permits often include Three Fingers, Virgin, Pink Dragon, Pink Panther, Hidden, Wonderland, and Black Cave. Activities vary from month to month.
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Website
Contact
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Aug 11, 2008
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Aug 15, 2008
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NSS Convention – Lake City, Florida (west of Jacksonville), hosted by the NSS Cave Diving Section, the Florida Speleological Society, and members of the Tampa Bay Area, Flint River, and Central Florida Grottos.
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Website
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Aug 11, 2008
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Aug 15, 2008
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NSS Convention – in Lake City, Florida (west of Jacksonville), hosted by the NSS Cave Diving Section, the Florida Speleological Society, and members of the Tampa Bay Area, Flint River, and Central Florida Grottos.
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Website
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Sep 20, 2008
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ROBBER BARRON CAVE – The long running Restoration Project at TCMA's Robber Baron Cave is nearing its completion!
This project has been ongoing since 2003 and has involved:
- modification to the sinkhole to create amore natural entrance conditions to enhance species habitat,
- re-landscaping the sinkhole and property to remove exotic vegetation and restore native plants,
- promoting educational use of the entrance area,
- correcting and improving conditions at Robber Baron Cave that TCMA inherited from the previous owner,
- and more than 3200 combined volunteer hours, $12,000 in donations, and $16,500 in grants.
WE STILL NEED YOUR HELP! Plan to come to one of the remained work days and help us make the final push to finish this project and then plan to come and celebrate its completion!
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Website
Joe Mitchell - Project Manager
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Oct 17, 2008
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Oct 19, 2008
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31th Annual Texas Cavers Reunion (TCR) – TCR will be held at Paradise Canyon Park
on the Medina River. The site is located just
outside of San Antonio below the Diversion Dam on the Medina River. The site has a half-mile of river front with many good camping areas. The swimming will be superb and there are even some small caves across the
river.
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Website
Map
Allan Cobb
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Oct 25, 2008
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ROBBER BARRON CAVE – The long running Restoration Project at TCMA's Robber Baron Cave is nearing its completion!
This project has been ongoing since 2003 and has involved:
- modification to the sinkhole to create amore natural entrance conditions to enhance species habitat,
- re-landscaping the sinkhole and property to remove exotic vegetation and restore native plants,
- promoting educational use of the entrance area,
- correcting and improving conditions at Robber Baron Cave that TCMA inherited from the previous owner,
- and more than 3200 combined volunteer hours, $12,000 in donations, and $16,500 in grants.
WE STILL NEED YOUR HELP! Plan to come to one of the remained work days and help us make the final push to finish this project and then plan to come and celebrate its completion!
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Website
Joe Mitchell - Project Manager
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Oct 25, 2008
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Oct 26, 2008
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High Guads Restoration Project (Carlsbad, NM): More scrubbing caves – On-going work amid spectacular scenery in beautiful caves of the Lincoln National Forest. Last weekend of the month, permits often include Three Fingers, Virgin, Pink Dragon, Pink Panther, Hidden, Wonderland, and Black Cave. Activities vary from month to month.
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Website
Contact
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Nov 08, 2008
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Robber Baron Dedication Day – The long running Restoration Project at TCMA's Robber Baron Cave is nearing its completion!
This project has been ongoing since 2003 and has involved:
- modification to the sinkhole to create amore natural entrance conditions to enhance species habitat,
- re-landscaping the sinkhole and property to remove exotic vegetation and restore native plants,
- promoting educational use of the entrance area,
- correcting and improving conditions at Robber Baron Cave that TCMA inherited from the previous owner,
- and more than 3200 combined volunteer hours, $12,000 in donations, and $16,500 in grants.
WE STILL NEED YOUR HELP! Plan to come to one of the remained work days and help us make the final push to finish this project and then plan to come and celebrate its completion!
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Website
Joe Mitchell - Project Manager
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Jul 19, 2009
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Jul 26, 2009
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International Congress of Speleology - Kerrville Texas – Sort of like the NSS Convention on Steroids! Stay tuned for more information as it becomes available.
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Website
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