Welcome to information and registration for the 25th Annual NCKMS. Southeastern Cave Conservancy, Inc. is excited to host this bi-annual meeting in the cave and karst-rich Chattanooga area, which is situated in the heart of Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia (TAG). SCCi hosted the Symposium in 1999 and looks forward to hosting once again.
These informative meetings are held across the United States in order to highlight local karst resources and management issues, and to allow members of the resource management community to meet and exchange ideas and solve problems. Typical presentations and workshops focus on resource management and stewardship activities, education, communication, sustainability, and research. Sessions often provide many examples in both show cave and wild cave resource management.
Registration is $295/person and includes conference attendance, evening events, light breakfast, break snacks, and field trips. Question to [email protected]
Thank you to our 2023 NCKMS Co-sponsors for helping make this event happen!
Tennessee Cave Salamander Level Co-Sponsors
Cave Conservancy Foundation
John Hickman
Southern Cave Crayfish Level Co-Sponsors
American Cave Conservation Association
Cave Research Foundation
Karst Waters Institute
National Speleological Society
Tennessee Cave Survey
Tom Whitehurst
In-Kind Support
Amber Lehmann
Cumberland Caverns
Outdoor Chattanooga
Ruby Falls
Tennessee Aquarium Conservation Institute
Alabama Cave Shrimp Level Co-Sponsors
Bill Stringfellow
Buddy Lane
CaveGators.com
Chattanooga Grotto
Crawford Hydrology Lab @ WKU
Dogwood City Grotto
Emily P Davis
ESI (Environmental Solutions & Innovations, Inc.)
Huntsville Grotto
IMO (Inner Mountain Outfitters
Indiana Karst Conservancy
Kris H Green
Kyle Lassiter
Lewis & Associates Biological Consulting
Nashville Grotto
Northeastern Cave Conservancy
Robert Jones
Sewanee Mountain Grotto
Sinking Creek Pottery
Texas Hydro Geo Workshop
The Nature Conservancy
Virginia Cave Board
West Virginia Cave Conservancy
10.28.2023
Monday, November 6, 2023
Morning 9am - Noon (FREE)Sustainable Tourism Solutions in Cave and Karst Biosphere Reserves Webinar presented by CaveMAB Network
8:30am - 5:00pm ($25/registrant)Dye Tracing WorkshopLed by Ben Miller (U.S. Geological Survey) and Brian Ham (Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation)Classroom lecture and field work
Afternoon 3pm – 5pm ($25/registrant)Tennessee Aquarium Conservation InstituteTour of institute and presentation on research in Key Cave, Alabama on Alabama Cavefish and undescribed Cave Shrimp and two rare Cave Crayfishes.
Cave Conservation Management and Restoration - International Workshops
The Northeastern Cave Conservancy and Thacher State Park: a collaboration fifty years in the making
Phylogeography, speciation, and cryptic diversity in Pseudosinella cave springtails (Entomobryomorpha: Entomobryidae) of the Interior Low Plateau and Appalachian Valley & Ridge karst region
Cave-dwelling fauna of the Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge Complex in northern Alabama, USA
Systematic Microbiological Sampling of Karst Groundwaters in Virginia
Environmental DNA (eDNA) as an effective approach for monitoring and studying groundwater biodiversity
Assessing patterns of subterranean biodiversity and microclimates to inform cave management and conservation
A Study on the Impact of Microplastics in Sediments in the Hidden River Groundwater Basin, Hart County, Kentucky
Importance of State Cave Surveys for cave research: Case study: Tennessee Cave Survey as a Source of Speleological Data on Cave type, distribution and density as indicators of karstification on the Cumberland Plateau of Tennessee
The Texas Hydro Geo Workshop
Sinkhole hazard assessment index and risk analysis to inform karst policy and mitigation planning
Hydrological Dynamics of Surface-Groundwater Interactions Between Major Springs of Mammoth Cave and the Green River, Kentucky, USA
The Karst Springs Initiative - five years of volunteer karst studies on the Cumberland Plateau of Tennessee
KARST PROTECTION: How Do We Go from Words to Action?
Wild Cave Trip to Horizontal Cave in Grundy County, Tennessee
The Double Tree by Hilton in downtown Chattanooga is the headquarters hotel for the symposium, restaurants, tourist attractions, and great views are close and abundant. The hotel offers parking at a discounted rate for attendees. Overnight parking is $8/night and day parking is $5/day. You will need to pay in the lobby before entering the adjacent lot. The Doubletree by Hilton offers a group rate of $109/night for 11/3 - 11/13 to allow attendees to spend time in the area before and after the Symposium. The deadline has passed for the group rate, but there may still be availability. Email [email protected] to find out.
We are now accepting papers for the 2023 National Cave and Karst Management Symposium. The theme for this symposium is "From Ridges to Streams." However, we encourage authors to submit papers on all topics related to the management of caves and karst resources. Abstract submission deadline ended. Full paper submission deadline is now February 1, 2024. Download more information HEREr e-mail to [email protected]
Full and partial scholarships are available for attendees. The NCKMS Scholarship Committee manages the George N Huppert Scholarship Program. THE DEADLINE HAS PASSED. More information and application information is located HERE.
NCKMS relies on registrations and community support to run these meetings. We ask you to consider being a co-sponsor in the form of financial support, or through a contribution of goods and services. Sponsorships provide attendees an opportunity to learn more about local businesses, products, and resources available in located in the region surrounding Chattanooga, and to learn about businesses, products, and resources available within the cave and karst resource management community. Thank you for helping us protect the underground resources of the Southeast and other areas. More information is available HERE or by emailing [email protected].. Sponsors can also register below.
Co-sponsors Levels (named for some of the Southeast’s more unique cave dwelling species):
Alabama Cave Shrimp ($350–$699)
Southern Cave Crayfish ($700 to $1399 Level). As above, plus:
Tennessee Cave Salamander ($1400+). As above, plus:
This includes conference attendance, evening events, light breakfasts, breaks, and fieldtrips.
Includes:Organization listing on NCKMS Web Page and Facebook Page Recognition in Program and Proceedings Single table space in Exhibit Hall One Symposium registration
Includes:- Extended Space in Exhibit Hall - Signs/Banner (if provided) displayed throughout event- One additional Symposium registration (total of two) ** A coupon code will be sent to the primary registration for the additional registration.
Includes:- Inclusion of promotional or other material in registration packages- Premium Space in Exhibit Hall - Two additional Symposium registrations (total of four) ** A coupon code will be sent to the primary registration for the two additional registrations.
Includes attendance at day program
Sustainable Tourism Solutions in Cave and Karst Biosphere ReservesWebinar presented by CaveMAB Network @ Doubletree Hotel
Lecture in morning at Doubletree and then fieldwork in afternoon.Limited to 13 participants.
Depart hotel at 2:30 pm for tour and presentation at facility.Limited to 13 particpants.
Cave and karst features in Alabama(Must be registered for full-conference to attend)
Cave and karst features in Tennessee(Must be registered for full conference to attend)
Limited to 13 participants.(Must be registered for full conference to attend)
Not attending field trips. **Registration fee is not adjusted **
Symposium Proceedings
Following the Symposium, the proceedings from the presenters will be collected and printed. Price includes domestic postage.
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