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A few minor changes in the program will be announced in Albany. Programs and preregistration badges are ready and waiting. Onsite registration opens at Noon on Monday, Oct. 31.

Featured speaker Elery Hamilton-Smith and Pat Seiser from the National Cave and Karst Research Institute have arrived in New York. They are at Speleobooks and will be resting from the road in anticipation of Monday's registration day and reception. Meet them at the 2005 NCKMS Read Pat's Blog (Updated Oct 30).

Detailed Agenda Updated October 19 FINAL session schedules are now posted, including all speaker times. The field trip route and description has been added as a link on the agenda.

The symposium site is the Clarion Hotel of Albany (518 438 8431). Space is not guaranteed in October, so make your reservations as soon as possible.

Online Secure Registration 2005 NCKMS Registration as well as registration for Project Underground and Bat Conservation International Workshops.

A National Speleological Society Board of Governors Meeting will follow the 2005 NCKMS in Albany. Follow the link for details on registration and activities surrounding this NSS event. NSS officers, board members and others attending the B.O.G. meeting are strongly encouraged to arrive a day or more early in order to participate in the Symposium. A Friday morning session is aimed at conservation organizations that manage cave and karst properties. NCKMS participants may wish to stay over for the NSS meeting. Clarion Hotel conference rates are good through the weekend following the NCKMS.

The 2005 National Cave And Karst Management Symposium to be held Oct. 31 to November 4 in Albany, New York, marks 30 years since the first Symposium was held in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Hosted by The Northeastern Cave Conservancy, Inc., the Symposium will showcase both the accomplishments of decades of cooperative cave and karst management research, and the path towards the future.

An exceptional selection of session organizers will preside over an informative and dynamic week that will be valuable to cave and karst managers everywhere.

The 2005 NCKMS sessions will focus on protocols and methods of effective cave and karst management with speakers sharing a wide range of experience and methods.

Elery Hamilton-Smith will be the banquet speaker at the symposium this year. He is currently Professor in Environmental Studies at Charles Stuart University, Australia. He heads the Cave and Karst Management Program and is Chair of the IUCN/WCPA Task Force on Cave and Karst Protection. In addition to attending the 2005 NCKMS, Elery will be traveling from Los Angeles on a cave and karst management tour, which will be reported on this site enroute. Read about the tour; join the festivities by web or along the way in person!

Diana Northup will present the keynote address on the topic 'Partnering with Scientists to Enhance Cave and Karst Management." She has studied biospeleology since 1984. She studies cave microbial communities and their interactions with minerals with colleagues in the Subsurface Life in Mineral Environments (SLIME) team. She is a Professor in the Science and Engineering Library and an Associate Professor in Biology (University of New Mexico).

Each speaker is well known and widely respected in the cave and karst management world. Their observations are certain to set the tone for a highly informative and enjoyable symposium.

Submission of Abstracts. Papers may be submitted until September 16, 2005. Any paper pertaining to cave and karst management, use or study is invited. You may wish to approach one of the session chairmen listed on the preliminary agenda to discuss inclusion of your paper. Abstracts may also be submitted directly to the Symposium organizers. All papers will be published in the 2005 NCKMS Proceedings. Email Symposium chairman Michael Warner for further details: mike@speleobooks.com

2005 Symposium Cosponsors make possible many of the planned sessions or events. Additional cosponsors are welcome. Listing on this website is available upon completion of a cosponsorship agreement. Cosponsors are entitled to registrations, exhibit space and other considerations. Contact Emily Davis for more details if your organization is interested in helping this special meeting by participating as a cosponsor. NCKMS Sponsors are the standing members of the steering committee which are the organizations in charge of this semiannual event.

A block of rooms has been set aside for the 2005 NCKMS at the newly renovated Clarion Hotel of Albany (518 438 8431), has been reserved. Please make your reservation by September 30 in order to guarantee space. Rates are guaranteed to be at or below designated government rates. Be sure to indicate that you will be attending the 2005 NCKMS in order to receive the Symposium rate, and so that the Symposium will receive credit for your use of the room.

The Clarion Hotel of Albany will provide shuttle transportation from the Albany International Airport (ALB) to the Symposium. The hotel is only a short distance from the airport.

The Symposium will provide hospitality on Monday evening during and after registration.

Complimentary breakfast is included for each attendee staying at the Clarion Hotel.

The Symposium will include buffet lunches on Tuesday and Thursday prepared by the kitchen at the Clarion. Lunches during session days will function as an extension of discussion time for attendees.

A secure exhibit hall will be set up directly opposite the sessions. Cosponsors and other exhibitors will have ample space for displays to be in place all week.

A National Speleological Society Board of Governors Meeting will be hosted locally by the Hudson-Heldeburg Grotto on Saturday, November 5. The meeting location will be announced at a later date.

Each cosponsor has made a contribution which will be used to improve the quality of this years symposium. We depend on the cosponsors for their generous contributions. Be sure to visit exhibits, examine the material in your registration packages, and recognize the participation of representatives from these organizations. Additional cosponsors are welcome.

Howe Caverns is a premier attraction which provides unparalleled cavern adventures designed to enlighten, entertain, and educate. We are a caring corporation which is accountable, responsible, courteous, honest, and helpful to our guests, shareholders, employees, and local community. We diligently recruit and train our employees to develop the skills and standards of performance necessary to insure extraordinary customer service. We will operate on a sound financial basis of profitable growth and enhance shareholder value. We are committed to preserving and conserving our natural wonder for the benefit of future generations.

The NATIONAL CAVES ASSOCIATION, founded in 1965, is a non-profit organization of publicly and privately owned show caves and caverns - caves developed for public visitation. All are natural caves or caverns beneath the surface of the earth. These underground wonders are presented to the visitor with good taste, courtesy and hospitality during tours at regularly scheduled times. Members of the Association stress the preservation of these natural resources. Cooperation and the exchange of information between member caves is promoted as owners and operators work together for the betterment of all aspects of the show cave industry and to better serve the traveling public.

Goals of the National Cave and Karst Research Institute:

* Further the science of speleology through coordination and facilitation of research.

* Serve as a repository and provide analysis and synthesis of speleological information.

* Foster partnerships and cooperation in cave and karst research, education, and management programs.

* Promote and conduct cave and karst educational programs.

* Promote national and international cooperation in protecting the environment for the benefit of caves and karst landforms and systems.

* Develop and promote environmentally sound and sustainable cave and karst management practices, and provide information for applying these practices.

The Karst Waters Institute (KWI) is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit institution whose mission is to improve the fundamental understanding of karst water systems through sound scientific research and the education of professionals and the public. The institute is governed by a Board of Directors and does not have or issue memberships. Institute activities include the initiation, coordination, and conduct of research, the sponsorship of conferences and workshops, and occasional publication of scientific works. KWI supports these activities by acting as a coordinating agency for funding and personnel, but does not supply direct funding or grants to individual researchers.

The National Speleological Society is the largest cave-related organization in the world. We have over 12,000 members - scientists, conservationists, cave owners, and cave explorers - throughout the United States and abroad. Founded in 1941, the Society is headquartered in Huntsville, Alabama, and is affiliated with the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the Union Internationale de Speleologie. The NSS is a non-profit corporation and is tax exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Contributions to the Society are deductible to the full extent allowed by law. Membership is open to anyone who shares our goals.

The NSF is an investment foundation which holds and manages funds for The National Speleological Society and other speleological organizations such as the Michigan Karst Conservancy and The Northeastern Cave Conservancy. The Foundation also awards conservation and science grants.

The West Virginia Cave Conservancy (WVCC) is a non-profit corporation dedicated to preserving the cave and karsts resources of West Virginia for future generations.

The West Virginia Cave Conservancy was formed to:

* Gain and preserve access to significant and/or sensitive caves in West Virginia.
* Protect sensitive cave resources.
* Provide education to landowners, local governments, developers, and the general public on the value of cave and karst resources.
* Organize cave and karst conservation projects such as sinkhole cleanups and livestock barrier fences.
* Solicit funding for the above.
* The West Virginia Cave Conservancy, Inc. is a publicly supported, non-profit, tax exempt 501-c-3 corporation, chartered in the state of West Virginia.

The Northeastern Cave Conservancy, Inc. (NCC) is a not-for-profit corporation committed to the conservation, study, management, and acquisition of caves and karst areas having significant geological, hydrological, biological, recreational, historical, or aesthetic features.

The NCC programs are focused mainly on the preservation of caves and karst. Outreach includes education in schools and local communities, establishment of park spaces on karstlands, and educational messages about the significance of groundwater pollution on this sensitive underground ecosystem.

Incorporated in 1983, the MKC is one of the earliest non-profit corporation karst conservancies. The purposes of the conservancy are the acquisition, management and protection of the finest examples in Michigan of karst areas and features, as well as scientific study, and conservation education regarding karst.

Since its founding the MKC has preserved approximately 600 acres of karst which includes Michigan's largest known cave system -- Hendrie River Water Cave. The Conservancy's newest acquisition is known as Mystery Valley -- part of a mile long karst valley with an impressive swallow hole at its head. Historically, this swallow hole was thought to be the entrance to Michigan's Mammoth Cave.

Speleobooks has been selling cave and bat related items for more than 30 years. As a central part of its business mission Speleobooks supports symposia, conferences, individuals and organizations that further conservation and scientific causes related to speleology and bats.

The Hoffman Environmental Research Institute is a consortium of scientists and students dedicated to research and higher education at the frontiers of environmental science. Its primary mission is to be a leader in the development of innovative, basic and applied research programs aimed at understanding the dynamics of human-landscape- atmosphere interactions. A major goal of the Institute's activities is to actively involve undergraduate and graduate students in all aspects
of this research as an integrated part of their academic programs with the purpose of nurturing their intellectual growth, critical thinking skills, and technical experience in the environmental discipline.

Alex Sproul, and my wife, Dru. Operated as home-based business by owners Alex and Dru Sproul. Dedicated to serving the needs of cavers and high-angle rescue folks. Over three decades of experience in the caving world. The latest and best technology at the best prices around. The most complete line of caving gear in the country.

Thanks to The Girls Scout Council of New York for printing the 2005 NCKMS program

Home Steering Committee/Sponsors History
Host a Symposium Proceedings Scholarships Related Links

The National Cave and Karst Management Symposium is administered and sponsored by these organizations and agencies:

The American Cave Conservation Association, Bat Conservation International, Bureau of Land Management, The Nature Conservancy, National Caves Association, National Park Service, National Speleological Society, U.S. Fish &Wildlife Service, Cave Research Foundation, Karst Waters Institute, U.S. Forest Service

For flights or cars for the 2005 NCKMS search for ALB (Albany International Airport). The symposium starts on Monday, October 31 and concludes on Friday, November 4.