Monthly 2nd & 4th Monday / 7 PM   Bexar Grotto meeting.  Chester's Hamburgers, 16609 San Pedro.

Monthly 2nd Wednesday   Texas Speleological Survey Work Session in Austin  Contact Ron Ralph for details.

Kurt Menking has set up a trip to Honeycreek Cave for Feb 11-12.  No major dive trips or other projects planned yet, but all comers are welcome.  Feel free to continue any survey leads you remember from years past, or just do a leisurely swim through.

Camping will be available at the shaft entrance Friday and Saturday evenings.
Please let him know if you're planning to attend.

The 2012 Texas Cave Conservancy Winter Conference will be held February 24-26.  The weekend will include camping, caving, workshops, a Saturday night party and a special presentation Saturday night following the dinner.  We will have several speakers and slides on the old Southwest Texas University Grotto (SWTG).  Toward that end, we are posting a list of some of the SWTG cavers in another e-mail.  The list is too large to be sent on this mailing.  If you know any of them, please forward this notice.  In addition to the TCC Winter Conference being a great place for new cavers, this year will be a good reunion of the old SWTG.

As usual, the center point for the weekend will be the Texas Cave Conservancy Headquarters located at:

1800 West Park
Cedar Park, Texas

For additional information, contact the TCC at TCC-caves@austin.rr.com or 512-249-2283.  We will post additional information after the first of the year.

Contact Fran Hutchins

We are pleased to announce that Dr. John Van Brahana will be our next Distinguished Lecturer on Friday, March 2, 2012 at Southwest Research Institute.  The presentation will start at 9 am and will run through 4 pm.  The title of the lecture will be Understanding Karst Challenges.  Van has been working in hydrogeology for almost 50 years.  He served for more than 28 years with the USGS and 21 years as a professor at the University of Arkansas.  He has a wide range of experience and contributed more than 70 peer-reviewed papers, book chapters and proceedings.  As part of his lecture, he will include a one hour presentation on Scientific Ethics.

If you are interested in attending the lecture, please contact Ms. Elida Bocanegra at ebocanegra@edwardsaquifer.org or 210-222-2204.  The cost of the lecture is $20 and $10 for students and includes lunch and snacks.  You must register to attend.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Elida or myself.

Sincerely,
Geary M. Schindel, P.G.
Chief Technical Officer - Aquifer Science
Edwards Aquifer Authority
1615 N. St. Mary's Street
San Antonio, TX 78215
210.222.2204
gschindel@edwardsaquifer.org

Zoo volunteers need help/supervision. Contact Fran Hutchins

The Government Canyon Karst Project will be the weekend of March 3 and 4.

Specific information on this weekend's project will be sent via CaveTex as we approach the dates.

Directions to the Government Canyon Karst Project:

Find the intersection of U.S. 16 and Loop 1604 in northwest Bexar County (clearly shown on any state highway map).  Drive 2 miles north on U.S. 16 to the third traffic light and turn left onto FM 1560 (there is a Shell station on the corner).  Follow 1560 for 3 miles till you see the sign for GCSNA.  Follow the arrow to the right and drive 2 more miles to the sharp left turn in the road.  The gate to GCSNA is straight ahead.  Enter at the gate and then take the first right.  There is an unlocked gate that will need to be opened and then closed behind you.  Continue to the Volunteer/Research Station, where we will meet.

We will meet at 9:00 both mornings.  Camping is available.  Contact me to set it up.

Marvin Miller
(210) 415-5190

Welding on purlins to the back porch rafters and possibly finishing the roof.  May have folks route planning in the caves.  May have road clearing to Deep cave.  Any help appreciated.  Contact Don Arburn for questions & info.

Don Arburn, Preserve Manager
Deep & Punkin Caves Nature Preserve
Texas Cave Management Association
"Caves for Cavers"
donarburn@mac.com

The Government Canyon Karst Project will be the weekend of April 7 and 8.

Specific information on this weekend's project will be sent via CaveTex as the date gets closer.

Directions to the Government Canyon Karst Project:

Find the intersection of U.S. 16 and Loop 1604 in northwest Bexar County (clearly shown on any state highway map).  Drive 2 miles north on U.S. 16 to the third traffic light and turn left onto FM 1560 (there is a Shell station on the corner).  Follow 1560 for 3 miles till you see the sign for GCSNA.  Follow the arrow to the right and drive 2 more miles to the sharp left turn in the road.  The gate to GCSNA is straight ahead.  Enter at the gate and then take the first right.  There is an unlocked gate that will need to be opened and then closed behind you.  Continue to the Volunteer/Research Station, where we will meet.

We will meet at 9:00 both mornings.  Camping is available.  Contact me to set it up.

Marvin Miller
(210) 415-5190

The Government Canyon Karst Project will be the weekend of May 5 and 6.

Specific information on this weekend's project will be sent via CaveTex as the date gets closer.

Directions to the Government Canyon Karst Project:

Find the intersection of U.S. 16 and Loop 1604 in northwest Bexar County (clearly shown on any state highway map).  Drive 2 miles north on U.S. 16 to the third traffic light and turn left onto FM 1560 (there is a Shell station on the corner).  Follow 1560 for 3 miles till you see the sign for GCSNA.  Follow the arrow to the right and drive 2 more miles to the sharp left turn in the road.  The gate to GCSNA is straight ahead.  Enter at the gate and then take the first right.  There is an unlocked gate that will need to be opened and then closed behind you.  Continue to the Volunteer/Research Station, where we will meet.

We will meet at 9:00 both mornings.  Camping is available.  Contact me to set it up.

Marvin Miller
(210) 415-5190

The conference will pay special attention to the legislative and practical conservation of the bats and their cave habitat, to the effects of cave tourism on bats, and to research on WNS and other bat diseases; but any papers related to cave-roosting bats are welcome.  The program of the conference includes a field-trip to the Bükk Mountains.

Detailed information will be available in the First Circular, as well as on the website: www.barlang.hu and at e-mail: mkbt@t-online.hu in February 2012.  For smooth organization, potential participants are kindly requested to send a notice of interest by 2012 January 20 to either of the following addresses:

Magyar Karszt- és Barlangkutató Társulat
1025 Budapest, Pusztaszeri út 35.
Hungary
or
mkbt@t-online.hu