OFFICERS President: Patty Perlaky Cave Without A Name, TX Ph: 830-537-4212 [email protected] Vice President: John Graves Luray Caverns, VA Ph: 540-743-6551 [email protected] Robert A. Holt PO Box 625, Cobleskill, NY 12043 Executive Director Phone: 518-231-5420 Secretary Treasurer: Bob Holt Email: [email protected] www.cavern.com Mercer Caverns, CA Ph: 518-231-5420 [email protected] Past President: Steve Rawlings June 2017 Mercer Caverns, CA Ph: 209-728-2101 [email protected] REGIONAL DIRECTORS Mark Twain Cave extends Region One: (CT, DE, ME, MA, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, VT) Rob Arey –Polar Caves Park, NH a warm welcome as hosts [email protected] Ph: 603-536-1888 for the 2017 convention Region Two: (MD, VA, WV, KY) Eric Helton – Diamond Caverns, KY Mark Twain Cave staff and employees [email protected] Ph: 270-749-2233 are looking forward to your visit at the Region Three: (IL, IN, MI, OH) convention this September. We are so Claudia Yundt - Squire Boone Caverns, IN centrally located that we hope every [email protected] Ph: 812-732-4382 member can come. If you haven't been to convention in awhile, this location will Region Four: (AR, IA, KS, MO, NE) Dennis Boyer - War Eagle Cavern, AR be perfect. Our cave does not have any [email protected] Ph: 479-789-2909 steps. There is so much to learn at convention. You may think you know all Region Five: (MN, MT, ND, SD, WI) about caves but, these days there is so Tom Hagen - Rushmore Cave, SD [email protected] Ph: 605-255-4467 much more to run a smooth and profitable operation. We learn new merchandizing Region Six: (CA, ID, NV, OR, WA, AK, HI, trends, how to make our computers work Barbados, Bermuda) Matt Doyle – Lake Shasta Caverns, CA for us and also review the old tried and [email protected] true. We meet the new generations of Ph: 800-795-CAVE some of the most loyal legends of our Region Seven: (AZ, CO, NM, UT, WY) business. So I invite you today to make Steve Beckley – Glenwood Caverns, CO plans to come to Mark Twain Cave, [email protected] Ph: 970-945-4CAV Hannibal, MO for the 52nd annual National Caves Association Convention. Hannibal is 2 hours north of St. Louis, 3.5 hours east of Kansas City, 5.5 hours Region Eight: (LA, OK, TX) Ed Mayfield – Caverns of Sonora, TX south of Chicago and also 5.5 hours west of Indianapolis. We are the [email protected] Ph: 325-387-3105 crossroads of the United States. Watch for more to follow. Region Nine: (AL, FL, GA, MS, NC, SC, TN) Linda Coleberd Lisa McClung – Lost Sea, TN [email protected] Ph: 423-337-6616 Mark Twain Cave DIRECTOR AT LARGE Mark Twain Cave Commercial Denise Bell – Seneca Caverns, OH [email protected] Ph: 419-483-6711 DIRECTOR EMERITUS Steve Runkle - Cave of the Winds, CO Register for 2017 Convention [email protected] Ph: 719-685-5444 Click Here Convention hotel accepting reservations! Headquarters for the 2017 convention will be at the Quality Inn & Suites right in Hannibal. The cave is minutes away. The best way to be sure you get a room is to call the hotel directly. The number is 573-221-4001. The arrival date is Monday, September 18 (unless you are a board or committee member), departing Friday, September 22. The NCA has the entire hotel for our use! Quality Inn -Choice Hotels -Hannibal, MO National Caves Association declares June 6 National Day of Caves and Karst News Release announcing the formation of our national day. Cobleskill, NY (May 12, 2017) — The National Caves Association, which represents more than 80 show caves in the United States, Bermuda and Barbados, has declared June 6 as National Day of Caves and Karst to increase awareness of the roles both play in our lives and the environment. Karst is an area of land made up of limestone; its landscapes feature caves, underground streams and sinkholes on the surface. According to CavesLive.org, which is sponsored by the USDA Forest Service and Prince William Network, caves and karst make landscapes diverse, fascinating and rich in resources, including the largest springs and most productive groundwater on Earth and 175 different minerals, a few of which have only been found in caves. They provide a unique subsurface habitat for rare animals and preserve fragile archaeological and paleontological materials for millennia. “There’s just so much to see, learn and discover underground,” Patty Perlaky, president of the National Caves Association, said. “With publicly accessible caves located throughout the country, our hope with the National Day of Caves and Karst on June 6 is to encourage people to tour at least one cave this summer. We’ve come up with five reasons why they should.” 1. See things they’ve never seen before. No two caves are alike. Sights on a cave tour include formations, millions of years in the making, such as stalagmites, stalactites, aragonite crystals, flowstone and cave bacon. There are also many caves with water features, such as underground rivers, pristine lakes and raging waterfalls. 2. Spend quality time with family. Some of the best family memories are made during summer vacations and staycations. Exploring caves with kids not only means quality time together, it can spark an interest in science and nature that will last a lifetime. Bonding opportunities exist as well when family members share a challenge such as going deep underground for an adventurous wild tour. “Most people don’t realize that when they’re out walking or taking a hike, there might be a completely different world beneath their feet. Even teenagers, who weren’t that excited about the trip to begin with, are amazed and want to go right back in for another tour,” John Graves, president and CEO of Virginia’s Luray Caverns, explained. “Instead of more screen time this summer, get kids of all ages engaged in the natural world. No matter how many times you go underground, it’s different every time.” 3. Cave tours are educational. Most guided tours teach guests about the history of that particular cave and the surrounding area, as well as its geology, the positive impacts of bats and the importance of cave conservation. There’s a lot more to learn about the scientific research that’s taking place in caves around the world. Universities are partnering with privately owned caves to learn how unique bacteria can play a role in cancer treatment and the development of new antibiotics. Researchers also collect broken formations to track historical weather trends dating back hundreds of thousands of years and take water samples to identify changes in mineral content. “There’s no limit to the ways that we can benefit by better understanding caves and karst. Astronauts train underground, and NASA is considering the possibility of using a cave to create a shelter on Mars so that only one exterior wall has to be constructed,” Perlaky, who is also co-manager of Cave Without a Name in Boerne, Texas, added. “Cave discoveries include unique species as well as fossilized bones, some dating back to the Ice Age. The list goes on and on.” The National Park Service offers a Junior Cave Scientist Program to encourage kids’ learning. A free activity booklet is available for download at https://www.nps.gov/subjects/caves/junior-cave-scientist-program.htm. 4. Spending time in nature has many benefits. Multiple studies show that nature boosts our mental and physical well-being. Benefits, particularly when paired with exercise, include restored mental energy, better vision in children, improved concentration, sharper thinking and creativity. Spending time in natural spaces has been linked to increased energy, improved cognition, reduced anger and stress, lower blood pressure and slower heart rates. 5. Caves are fun. These aren’t your grandfather’s cave tours. Options for exploring and spending time in caverns are increasing each year. Visitors can: travel on underground rivers in electric tour boats at Bluespring Caverns and in kayaks at Indiana Caverns, both in Indiana, or by floating at Natural Stone Bridge Caves and Park in New York; watch live concerts broadcast by PBS or camp out at Tennessee’s Cumberland Caverns; and listen to the Great Stalacpipe Organ, the world’s largest musical instrument, at Luray Caverns in Virginia. Visitors to the Sea Lion Caves wildlife preserve and bird sanctuary on the Oregon Coast often spot sea lions inside the cave, depending on the time of year. Sometimes, just getting to the cave is fun. Access to Glenwood Caverns and the Historic Fairy Caves in Colorado is via tram, with panoramic views of the Rocky Mountains along the way. In California, guests descend 150 feet by rope to enter the main chamber at Moaning Caverns, no experience required. A Lake Shasta Caverns’ California adventure begins with a ride across the crystal blue waters of Shasta Lake on a 65-foot catamaran. “I’ve been a caver most of my life, so any time I spend underground is fun for me. Having the family join me makes it even better,” Steve Beckley, who owns Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park with his wife Jeanne, said. “Like all cave owners, we are stewards of these incredibly delicate natural resources. We all share a passion for protecting them and for educating people about them. That’s what the National Day of Caves and Karst is all about.” Thanks to Mandy Gauldin of Peak Communications for preparing our news release. View the entire release with photos and video here: NCA National Day of Caves and Karst Welcome two new NCA members Thanks to Region 3 Director Claudia Yundt who brought into membership two caves in her backyard.