8/18/2019 Cave Research Foundation - Wikipedia

Cave Research Foundation

The Cav e Research Foundation (CRF) is an American priv ate, non-profit group dedicated to the exploration, research, and conserv ation of cav es. The group arose in the early 1950s from the exploration efforts at Floy d Collins Cry stal
Cav e, now within Mammoth Cav e National Park. Its stated goals were: to promote exploration and documentation of cav es and karst areas, initiate and support cav e and karst research, aid in cav e conserv ation and protection, and to assist
with the interpretation of cav es and karst to the public.

Contents
Growth
Focus
Cave Books
Notable CRF cartographers and authors
External links

Growth
CRF officially incorporated in 1957 under the laws of the Commonwealth of Kentucky . The Guadalupe Cav e Surv ey , explorers at Carlsbad Cav erns National Park, New Mexico, became part of CRF in 197 1. In 197 6, cav e surv ey at Sequoia
National Park/Kings Cany on National Park, California, and Buffalo National Riv er, Arkansas, became CRF projects. Additional cav e projects in Cumberland Gap National Historic Park, Kentucky ; Lav a Beds National Monument, California; and
the Ozark National Scenic Riv erway s, Missouri; hav e been included as operation areas of the CRF.

Focus
Starting with Mammoth Cav e National Park, CRF work has primarily focused on United States federal lands---particularly within United States National Parks. As such, the CRF has been inv olv ed with sev eral of the major cav e exploration
achiev ements of the 20th century . In particular, CRF mapping at Mammoth Cav e, Kentucky led to its documentation as the world's longest known cav e.

Since its inception, CRF has primarily been concerned with cav e mapping. Thus, its membership draws experienced cav ers, particularly those interested in cav e surv ey ing and cartography .

Cave Books
Cav e Books, founded in 1981, is the non-profit publishing affiliate of the Cav e Research Foundation. It is perhaps the world’s largest publisher of books on cav es, karst, and speleology . Cav e Books is staffed by v olunteers, and the managing
editor is Elizabeth Grace Winkler.

Notable CRF cartographers and authors

James "Jim" Borden, explorer of Roppel Cave and coauthor of Beyond Mammoth Cave
Peter and Ann Bosted, cave photographers
Roger Brucker, explorer and coauthor of The Caves Beyond, Trapped! The Story of Floyd Collins, The Longest Cave, and Beyond Mammoth Cave
Patricia Crowther, explorer and computer programmer
Will Crowther, explorer and computer programmer
Joel Despain, cartographer and author of Crystal Cave: a Guidebook to the Underground World of Sequoia National Park and Hidden Beneath the Mountains: The Caves of Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park
Chris Groves, Ph.D., CRF President 2004–2006, Professor, Western Kentucky University Department of Geography, Director of the Hoffman Environmental Research Institute
Patricia Kambesis, former president of CRF, cave cartographer, and coauthor of Deep Secrets: The Discovery and Exploration of Lechuguilla Cave
Arthur N. Palmer, Ph.D., karst scientist and author of several books on cave geology
Patty Jo Watson, Ph.D., archaeologist
Richard "Red" Watson, Ph.D., author of books on caves and philosophy
William B. White, Ph.D., karst scientist and author of several books on karst hydrology

External links
Cave Research Foundation website (http://www.cave-research.org)
Cave Books (http://www.cavebooks.com/)

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This page was last edited on 11 October 2017, at 01:04 (UTC).

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