- Cave Research Foundation
The Cave Research Foundation (CRF) is an American private,
non-profit group dedicated to the exploration, research, and conservation ofcaves . The group arose in the early 1950s from the exploration efforts at Floyd Collins Crystal Cave, now withinMammoth Cave National Park . Its stated goals were to: to promote exploration and documentation ofcaves andkarst areas, initiate and support cave andkarst research, aid incave conservation and protection, and to assist with the interpretation of caves andkarst to the public.Growth
CRF officially incorporated in 1957 under the laws of the Commonwealth of
Kentucky .The Guadalupe Cave Survey, explorers atCarlsbad Caverns National Park ,New Mexico , became part of CRF in 1971. In 1976, cave survey atSequoia National Park /Kings Canyon National Park ,California , andBuffalo National River ,Arkansas , became CRF projects. Additional cave projects inCumberland Gap National Historic Park,Kentucky ,Lava Beds National Monument ,California , Ozark National Scenic Riverway,Missouri , andChina , have been included as operation areas of the CRF.Focus
Starting with
Mammoth Cave National Park , CRF work has primarily focused on United States federal lands---particularly withinUnited States National Parks . As such, the CRF has been involved with several of the major cave exploration achievements of the 20th century. In particular, CRF mapping atMammoth Cave ,Kentucky led to its documentation as the world's longest known cave.Since its inception, CRF has primarily been concerned with cave mapping. Thus, its membership draws experienced cavers, particularly those interested in cave surveying and cartography.
Cave Books
Cave Books, founded in 1981, is the non-profit publishing affiliate of the Cave Research Foundation. It is perhaps the world’s largest publisher of books on caves, karst, and
speleology . Cave Books is staffed by volunteers, and the Managing Editor is Paul Jay Steward.Notable CRF Cartographers and Authors
*James "Jim" Borden: Lead explorer of Roppel Cave, Coauthor of Beyond Mammoth Cave
*Peter and Ann Bosted: Noted Cave Photographers
*Roger Brucker , Explorer and coauthor of "The Caves Beyond", "Trapped! The Story of Floyd Collins", "The Longest Cave", and "Beyond Mammoth Cave: A Tale of Obsession in the World's Longest Cave".
*Patricia Crowther , explorer and computer programmer
*Will Crowther , explorer and computer programmer
*Joel Despain: noted cartographer; author of Crystal Cave: a guidebook to the underground world ofSequoia National Park and Hidden Beneath the Mountains: The Caves of Sequoia andKings Canyon National Park
*Chris Groves, Ph.D., CRF President 2004-2006, Professor,Western Kentucky University Department of Geography, Director, Hoffman Environmental Research Institute
*Patricia Kambesis: former president of CRF, cave cartographer. Coauthor of Deep Secrets: The Discovery and Exploration of Lechuguilla Cave.
*Arthur N. Palmer, Ph.D.: highly-respected karst scientist, author of several books on cave geology.
*Patty Jo Watson , Ph.D.: pioneer in ethnoarcheology, Member, National Academy of Sciences.
*Richard "Red" Watson, Ph.D.: author of numerous books on caves and philosophy.
*William B. White, Ph.D.: highly-respectedkarst scientist, author of several books on karsthydrology .External links
* [http://www.cave-research.org Cave Research Foundation website]
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