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While caving is usually done in small groups, there are many benefits
to belonging to an organized caving group. Most caving organizations
provide resources such as newsletters and libraries, activities
such as regular meetings and regional caving events, and opportunities
to join other cavers on trips and projects. These organizations
are usually the best place to meet experienced cavers who can provide
information on cave locations and training in basic and advanced
caving techniques.
National Organizations |
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In the United States the National
Speleological Society (NSS) was founded for the purpose
of advancing the study, conservation, exploration, and knowledge
of caves. The NSS is made up of individual members who are
usually involved with local NSS affiliated grottos (clubs)
and regional organizations. An annual convention is held each
summer in different parts of the United States. |
Local & Regional Groups |
Local and regional groups sponsor
trips, offer training, teach and practice cave conservation,
and generally provide a framework for enjoying and studying
caves. The NSS has a list
of affiliated caving clubs
(referred to as grottos) organized
by state that you can use to find an organization in your
area.
For example, in the immediate Baltimore-Washington
area there are two active NSS grottos and a large independent
cave club that work together on many projects: |
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Baltimore
Grotto is the Baltimore, Maryland area chapter of the
National Speleological Society (NSS), dedicated to the exploration,
study and conservation of caves. The grotto meets the first
Wednesday of each month in Catonsville, Maryland. |
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The District
of Columbia Grotto (DC Grotto), a local chapter of the
National Speleological Society (NSS), is dedicated to the
exploration, study and conservation of caves. DC Grotto meets
the third Tuesday of each month in Silver Spring, Maryland. |
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The second largest independent organization
of cavers in the United States, the Potomac
Speleological Club (PSC)
is dedicated to caving, conservation
and the science of Speleology. The PSC meets on the second
and fourth Mondays of each month in Arlington, Virginia. |
Special Interest Groups |
The caving community has many specific interest
groups focusing on such topics as photography, conservation,
vertical caving, geology, cave diving, and surveying and cartography,
and many more. Several of these groups, which are frequently
part of larger organizations like the NSS, publish newsletters
and sponsor periodic meetings. Other groups are focused on
exploration and documentation of caves and karst in a specific
area or conservation of specific caves or resources. A sampling
of such groups are listed below:
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NSS
Sections - The NSS has sections relating to a wide range
of specialized interests such as Communications and Electronics,
Digging, Geology and Geography, Paleontology, Spelean History,
Vertical Caving. |
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State and Regional Surveys - Some surveys
focus on documentation of caves and karst at the state level.
Examples of state surveys are the Virginia
Speleological Survey and the West
Virginia Speleological Survey. Other surveys may focus
on a specific project area, such as the Germany
Valley Karst Survey, which works exclusively in West Virginia's
Germany Valley, and various county surveys which contribute
to the state surveys. |
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Project Groups - There are many groups, usually
rather informal in nature, oriented toward a particular type
of project, cave system or activity. The Gangsta
Mappers, devoted to mapping of caves, is one example of
this type of group. |
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