Management of Subterranean Ecosystems in Extreme Environments
Caver working on computer
NCKMS 2025 News

Internal organizations of the National Speleological Society are welcome to reprint these news items in regional newsletters and grotto publications without further permission. External organizations should contact the NCKMS team for approval. Additional artwork is available upon request.

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29
JUN

During their annual meeting, the National Cave and Karst Management Symposium (NCKMS) Steering Committee unanimously approved the bid from the Western Cave Conservancy to host the 2025 event in Ely, Nevada. The 2025 event is scheduled for October 6-10 at Ely's Bristlecone Convention Center.

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ELY, NV WEATHER

Tonight

Mostly Clear Mostly clear, with a low around 26. North wind around 10 mph.

Thursday

Mostly Sunny then Scattered Showers And Thunderstorms Isolated rain showers between 1pm and 2pm, then scattered showers and thunderstorms between 2pm and 3pm, then isolated showers and thunderstorms between 3pm and 5pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 58. North wind 10 to 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New rainfall amounts less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Thursday Night

Partly Cloudy Partly cloudy, with a low around 29. North northeast wind 10 to 20 mph.

Lovelock Cave Duck Decoys

Lovelock Cave Duck Decoys

Nevada's Lovelock Cave is one of the most important classic sites of the Great Basin archaeological record because conditions of the cave are conducive to the preservation of organic and inorganic material.

In 1911 two miners, David Pugh and James Hart, were hired to mine for bat guano from the cave. They removed a layer of guano estimated to be three to six feet deep and weighing about 250 tons. The miners were aware of the artifacts they were disturbing but, unfortunately, only the most interesting specimens were saved. Archaeologists were quickly alerted to the existence of the cave where they found 11 pre-historic duck decoys stored inside two woven baskets.

The cave was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 24, 1984. It was the first major cave in the Great Basin to be excavated.

Symposium Merchandise

Troglodyte Playing Cards

We have no idea what these will look like yet, but we couldn't think of hosting NCKMS in Nevada without offering some themed-out playing cards. There's a good chance the card backs will feature a cave animal of the year, but we still have some time to figure it out.

Registration

Advance registration for the 2025 symposium is expected to open in mid-2024. We will send an email to past attendees when that system comes online.

Feel free to join our mailing list if you would like to receive occasional updates on our plans.

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