Volunteers play a crucial role in the success of NCKMS operations. The transformation of a symposium from vision to reality requires months of dedication, passion, and commitment to our mission. The team's task is to create a solid platform for our participants to network with other industry professionals while gaining modern insights into cave and karst management.
Our 2025 production team will grow in the next several months and multiple roles still need to be filled. If you think you might be interested in joining the 2025 NCKMS team, please check out our volunteer page. The Western Cave Conservancy welcomes your participation!
Co-Chair
Co-Chair
Financial Auditor
Treasurer
Hospitality Director
Project Director
Marketing Coordinator
Marketing Coordinator
Field Trip Logistics
Field Trip Logistics
In July of 1986, Life magazine labeled Ely, Nevada's Highway 50 as "The Loneliest Road in America" and suggested drivers should have 'survival skills' for the trip. The name was intended as a pejorative, but Nevada officials seized it as a marketing slogan. The name originates from large desolate areas traversed by the route, with few or no signs of civilization. The highway crosses several large desert valleys separated by numerous mountain ranges towering over the valley floors, in what is known as the Basin and Range province of the Great Basin. Photo by Matt Bowers, Third Media.
Registration for the 2025 symposium is now open! Early registration discounts end at midnight on September 15. After that, registration packages increase by $50.
After registering, be sure to book your hotel room soon. Our hotel discounts will expire in mid-September. See our host hotel page for more details.
The Cave Research Foundation is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to:
Facilitating research, management and interpretation of caves and karst resources; Forming partnerships to study, protect and preserve cave resources and karst areas; Promoting the long term conservation of caves and karst ecosystems.
Nevada is the most mountainous state in the country, with over 300 individual mountain ranges and 42 named summits over 11,000 feet!
Partly cloudy, with a low around 19. North northwest wind around 15 mph.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 43. North northwest wind 15 to 20 mph.
Mostly clear, with a low around 16. North wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.