[OVR Logo]Welcome to the OVR

Greetings from the Ohio (River) Valley Caving Region of the National Speleological Society. OVR is an internal organization of the NSS dedicated to the principles of the NSS and to the understanding and preservation of caves in Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio.

[NSS Logo]


Winter OVR Meeting

The winter meeting of the Ohio Valley Region is tentatively scheduled for 9:00am Sunday morning, January 31, 1999 during Crawl-a-thon at Carter Caves State Resort Park near Olive Hilly, Kentucky. Please be advised that due to renovation work at Carter Caves, the cabins will not be available for the event. The meeting agenda & updates, as well as any other pertinent information will be forwarded to member grottos within the upcoming month. If this date or time or the availability of the cabins pose undue difficulty for those who would otherwise attend the meeting, please advise John Cole at (606) 245-3383.


Battery Recycling Project

There is an ongoing project for battery recycling in the Ohio Valley Region, spearheaded by Bill Addington, Deb Bledsoe and Dr. Hillary Hopper. Encourage your grotto to establish a central collection bin that is available during grotto meetings and events so that cavers can responsibly dispose of used batteries. Then bring the used batteries to an OVR function and we will see that they are dutifully delivered to the proper recycling facilities.


New OVR Treasurer

Bill Addington of the Greater Cincinnati Grotto was voted into official status of the Treasurer of the Ohio Valley Region during the summer OVR meeting at Speleofest on May 25, 1998. We would like to welcome Bill into his role as treasurer, and thank him for stepping in to help when we were in need.


Freeland's Cave Cleanup

The 1998 Ohio Valley Region conservation project will be held at Freeland's Cave in Adams County, Ohio on November 14, 1998. Freelands's cave is currently the longest surveyed cave in Ohio (see note below). This remarkable cave features a lovely stream resurgence entrance, over 2,300 feet of passage, and diverse cave biota. The focus of the project is to remove the trash and appliances from the main, upstream sinkhole of the cave system. The cave is home to a troglobitic beetle species that is found nowhere else in the world. This effort will hopefully restore some of the natural habit for the beetle.

The project will begin at 8:00am Eastern time on Saturday. Volunteers are welcome whenever they arrive. Volunteers are needed to remove and sort the trash for recycling. A tractor will be provided by Lance and Carol Copas. Please bring any heavy chains, tow ropes, come-alongs or other lifting gear that you might have. A large, 30 foot dumpster will be on hand. Please dress accordingly for the project. This is an outside project and will not be canceled by bad weather. Wear boots and bring heavy gloves. You are responsible for your own lunch and dinner. Restaurants are 20 minutes away. Freeland's Cave will be open for visitation during the project weekend.

Camping will be available in a field provided by the Copa's located five miles from the clean-up site. The camping is primitive. Camping is available both Friday and Saturday nights for clean-up volunteers. There will be a large bonfire Saturday night after the clean-up. Everyone is welcome!

DIRECTIONS TO THE PROJECT SITE FROM PEEBLES, OH (Adams County) - From Peebles, OH take SR-41 south. Go east (left) on SR-781. Take SR-781 for about 7.4 miles to the project site. Turn right past the black barn into the field. Park in the field.

DIRECTIONS TO THE CAMPSITE FROM PEEBLES, OH (Adams County) - From Peebles, OH take SR-41 south. Go east (left) on SR-781. Take SR-781 for about 2 miles and turn right on Steam Furnace Rd at Toller's Grocery. (Please note that SR-781 turns right and then left here). Turn at the fourth house on the left after passing SR-781. The address is 2480 Steam Furnace Road, Peebles, OH 45660 Park in field. Let the Copa's know you have arrived. The Copa's can be contacted at (937) 587-3504 or copas@bright.net

We are still looking for a large flatbed wagon for the project. Please reply if you can help. The OVR does not collect any dues. Any donations are appreciated.

*Ohio Caverns is still probably the longest cave in Ohio, but as its survey data has not been published for a variety of reasons, its actual length is still a subject of guesstimation!


OVR Mapping Project

Plans to work in cooperation with the American Cave Conservation Association are developing for a 1999 cave survey project in Hidden River Cave. This is an excellent opportunity for the OVR to develop a working, mutually beneficial relationship with the ACCA. Brian Leavell of the Eastern Indiana Grotto will be coordinating the project. Persons interested in participating in this unique opportunity to explore & survey Hidden River Cave are invited to contact Brian at (317) 552-7619.


Jay Kessel Cave Conservation Fund

A conservation fund has been established in memory of Jay Kessel & his many years of service for the Ohio Valley Region & the caving community in general. Although the fund is in its initial steps and specific uses have not yet been outlined in detail, the fund will be used to further the cave conservation efforts of the Ohio Valley Region. Donations for the fund may be sent to Bill Addington, 1474 Covered Bridge Rd., Cincinnati, Ohio 45231. Donations to the fund should be specified as follows: OVR: Jay Kessel CCF.


1998 NSS Conservation Awards

The Ohio Valley Region has much to be proud of this year as the two conservation awards presented at this year's Convention--one for individual effort & the other for the accomplishments of an organization--were both awarded to members of the Ohio Valley Region, largely for work done either as a direct result of, or in close cooperation with, regional cave conservation efforts. Congratulations to the Central Ohio Grotto and to John LaMar Cole for their hard work & subsequent recognition! Let's keep the cave conservation ball rolling!


Contacts:


OVR Membership List

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Some of the OVR organizations:


Other fine OVR region sites:


OVR-CAVE Internet "Mailing List":

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Frequently Asked Questions (OVR-CAVE FAQ)

For further information or to subscribe, send mail to the Mailing List Server with HELP on the first line of the message.

Some more Caver "Mailing Lists":

Caver's Digest cavers@ditell.com
Cave Surveying cave-surveying-request@mantis.co.uk
Cavedata (Database) cavedata@techpkwa2.curtin.edu.au
Oz cavers ozcavers@techpkwa2.curtin.edu.au
Italian Cavers mailto:speleoit@telemar.it


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Thanks to Andy Niekamp, Dayton Underground Grotto (Dayton, Ohio)
for his extensive suggestions, help and encouragement.

visits since 10/15/98!

Copyright © 1998; Designed and maintained by Jon Hagee

My thanks to Joe Pearson and Webpub for providing this Web site.