Symposium
The Indiana Cave Symposium is sponsored by the Indiana Cave Survey and co-sponsored by the Indiana Karst Conservancy. The purpose of the event is to get all of the active caving groups together to discuss their projects. The emphasis is on exploration, surveying, and conservation projects. The talks are preferred to be about activities within Indiana, but exceptions are made. Each talk is around 15 to 30 minutes in length.
The event starts with a pitch-in dinner at 5:00 PM EDT. The Symposium sponsors provides and prepares the entrees (burgers, brats, etc) and we encourage attendees to pitch-in a side dish (covered dish, salad, dessert, chips) to share. The presentation will start at 6:10 PM and last until around 9:30 PM. There is no cost for the Symposium, but donations are accepted. Please RSVP for planning purposes.
For questions about the Symposium, contact the president (president@IndianaCaveSurvey.org)
32nd Indiana Cave Symposium
April 18, 2026
Dinner Time: 5:00 pm
Program Time: 6:10 pm
Orange County Community Center
1075 Sandy Hook Road Paoli, Indiana 47454Presentations
(Not necessarily in order)
2026 NSS Convention Update
Laura Demarest and Dean Wiseman
Hamer Cave: 2025 Cavefish Study and the Quarry Life Award
Carla Striegel-Winner, Keith Dunlap, and Tom Sollman
Bears, Boars, and Bombifrons – What Caves and Karst Tell Us About the History of Life and Climate
Dr Dave Polly
IKC/ICS Combined 40th Anniversaries
Matt Selig and Dave Everton
Cave Development in Indiana as a Product of Structural Geology
Lee Florea
Pless Cave Exploration and Mapping Update
Dave Everton
If you plan to attend, PLEASE RSVP here: https://form.jotform.com/260488012495157 so we can plan accordingly for the purchased food and plan for the number of attendees for seating.
The IKC and ICS will again offer a karst surface tour prior to the Indiana Cave Symposium: caves, dance halls, fruit storage, gravestones, and more will be the topics of this year’s tour. Come along on the tour and find out! Join long-time IKC and ICS members Carroll Ritter and John Benton to chat about geology and history at Peachers Cave, with another stop at a special whetstone quarry, a local cemetery, and even a stop at Orangeville Rise if we have the time. Participants will depart at 12:30 from the Orange County Community Center (site of the Symposium) and be back with enough time to be ready for the 5 PM meal. This is a driving tour with some walking off trail up to sites of interest. The event requires registration and is limited to 20 participants (registrants will receive additional details about the tour). It will go rain or shine. For more information and to register, go here: SymposiumTour2026.eventbrite.com.
Finally note that prior to dinner from 4:00 – 5:00 PM, the 2026 NSS Convention Co-chairs Laura Demarest and Dean Wiseman will be available for one-on-one questions that people may have about the convention to be held in Corydon from July 6 to 10, 2026. This is also an opportunity to sign up to be a volunteer.