SierraScape February - March 2008
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by Lois and Joe Walsh
Contributing Members

The National Cave and Karst Management Symposium held in October, 2007 was very successful. Approximately, 167 attendees were registered throughout the week. Sessions on a variety of cave and karst management topics and scientific speleology were well received. All the papers and proceedings will be published in a journal, which will be sent to all attendees, including EMG/Sierra Club.

The free evening panel program at Powder Valley Nature Center was well attended by the public as well as the registered attendees. The poster sessions and displays at the Viking Center created much interest, especially the award-winning one presented by a Kansas graduate student from Brazil. The banquet speaker, Dr. Blaine Schubert, presented an intriguing talk on ice-age fossils, particularly short-faced bears.

A highlight of the week was the field trip to Fisher Cave in Meramec State Park. Field trips to Mushroom Cave, Hamilton Valley, and local springs were also available. That evening, Meramec Caverns rolled out the red carpet with three different tours of Meramec Caverns, featuring hydrology, history, and cartography, followed by a fabulous buffet inside the cave.

Thanks again to EMG/Sierra Club, for its support and publicity.