TRA Grant Detail

The entire $500 or any awarded amount will be used to defray a portion of the kiosk materials, estimated above at $823 in total. The expected total project cost is approximately $110,000. More than half that amount is expected to be raised via donations, with the first $40,000 in individual and grotto contributions receiving a 50% match from a generous anonymous donor. That total of $60,000 via donation will be complemented by grant and organizational fundraising for the remaining $50,000 of the estimated cost.

The NCC is in the process of expanding the Merlins Cave Preserve from our existing 35-acre parcel to include an adjacent parcel that will double the size of the property and give us ownership of the existing approach trail and parking lot (currently an easement) as well as two additional small caves. The acquisition will make the Merlins Preserve a 71~ acre forested karstland preserve, with both underground resources for cavers and above ground resources for the general public. The addition serves cavers by maintaining access, the local community via outreach and several miles of walking trail, and conservation interests.
https://necaveconservancy.org/preserves/merlins/extension/

The addition of the parcel to the existing preserve protects long-term access to Merlins Cave, a significant marble cave in New York state, by allowing us full ownership of our access route and parking. Merlins Cave is a popular sporting stream cave visited often by grottos, during NROs, and during the most recent NSS Convention, so full ownsership of the parking and access improves both caving and conservation objectives. On the latter point, the preservation of the additional parcel protects a long stretch of ridgeline karst at the contact zone from being sold and developed, which could impact underground endangered bat habitat and water resources. The surface protection also preserves sensitive rich-sited upland plant communities, including a number of species and spring ephemeral communities that are rare in New York State. Finally, the expansion of the preserve will expand the local community recreational trails and serve as an outreach point for cave and karst conservation.

The specific goal of this grant is to support upgrade of the preserve kiosk and parking area; any awarded amount will go to purchase of materials. The existing kiosk needs some repair and section replacement, and expanded signage reflecting the new acquisition. The updated kiosk will be constructed of pressure-treated Southern Pine with a metal roof and will contain an updated poster that conforms to the NCC’s branding, with important safety information for visitors, along with some background information and a map of the trails and cave system. The parking area will also be slightly enlarged to accommodate additional public access, which will include being regraveled where needed and the removal of some standing dead ash trees.

1. Purchase 35~ acres of additional forested upland karst to expand the Merlins Cave preserve
2. Expand existing trail system for public access
3. Improve the kiosk and parking area for caver and public use
4. Hold outreach events to the local community to publicize the addition

March 2026: Close on the additional parcel
April 2026: Mark boundaries, establish expanded trail routes
May 2026: Remove standing dead trees in parking lot vicinity, and clear brush and debris to expand the parking area
June 2026: Repair and upgrade preserve kiosk
By August 2026: Regravel the existing and expanded parking area
August 2026: Hold community outreach at the preserve

The majority of the labor will be accomplished by volunteer contributions from the NCC membership, coordinated by the preserve manager. The relevant portion of the timeline above will be the repair and upgrade of the existing kiosk, which will be accomplished by John Dunham, Morgan Ingalls, Jacob Morris-Siegel, and Mike Chu (the first three being existing board members and the last being a former board member who initially constructed the current kiosk). Between us we have all the necessary tools and equipment, and need only purchase the materials for construction.
Budget - Kiosk estimate ($823) - Pressure Treated #2 Southern Yellow Pine dimensional lumber, hardware, metal roof, informational poster.

Each project goal above has a concrete marker of success; for the purposes of the project overall, success will be reflected by an expanded and locally publicized preserve with improved access for cavers and the public. For the purposes of this grant, success will be reflected by the improved kiosk portion of goal 3, in June 2026.

The expanded preserve will be published in The Northeastern Caver, which is the publication of record for the Northeastern Regional Organization of the NSS, as well as in the newsletters of the NCC and local grottos. Additionally, the preserve will be locally publicized to the town of Canaan by outreach events.

All funds will be used to partially cover page charges incurred from publishing the manuscript resulting from this project. I have attached a copy of the draft I am working on to give a more complete overview of the project. Please do not share it.

scientific community, managers of caves/mines, natural resource managers

This project impacts cave stewardship and the protection of caves and their natural content. If bats are no longer being exposed to Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd) environmental reservoirs in hibernacula in the Pd-endemic zone, then treatments designed to reduce those reservoirs should be carefully considered given the high likelihood of negative non-target effects on hibernacula ecosystems.

publication

We sampled sites in eastern North America in which Pseudogymnoascus destructans was first confirmed > 4 years ago to determine how prevalence and fungal loads have changed over time, and to assess if persistence is affected by bat species composition and surviving bat colony sizes in sites. This will inform whether bats are still being exposed to the fungus in such structures.

The project is completed. I am currently finishing up the manuscript draft and expect to submit it within the next 2 months.

The project is completed. I am currently finishing up the manuscript draft.
I published a paper showing the environmental reservoirs of the fungal pathogen that causes white-nose syndrome in bats have dramatically decreased in eastern Canada since the disease first turned up there in 2011.
https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ecs2.70149
We expanded the project across eastern North America (the endemic range of the fungus on the continent) to see if the same pattern has happened. This is important because if the fungus is naturally decreasing, attempts to decontaminate caves of the fungus with bleach or other chemical substances would be unnecessary, particularly given that these efforts have unknown effects on other cave fauna, especially other cave microbes. We started the project in 2023 and got great responses from local biologists willing to collect swabs of cave walls during their regular winter cave bat surveys.

We received more than enough samples to complete our project, and analysis and writing are nearly complete. The ultimate product of the project is a scientific publication. Our preliminary results indicate the load and prevalence of P. destructans environmental reservoirs on walls in hibernacula have decreased compared to previous research done in the first seven years since the fungus was introduced to individual hibernacula in North America. Loads and prevalence of P. destructans environmental reservoirs on walls in hibernacula are not correlated with the number of bats or the bat species composition in sites.

We plan to submit the manuscript to either Ecological Solutions and Evidence or Functional Ecology.
I presented the results of the project at 5 conferences, the most recent of which is available to watch on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfgZez4iQCY
Vanderwolf, KJ, and LP McGuire. 2025. Environmental reservoirs of Pseudogymnoascus destructans decrease in the endemic phase in North America. Ontario Bat Network, March 28-29. Parry Sound, Ontario. oral
Vanderwolf, KJ. And LP McGuire. 2025. Environmental reservoirs of Pseudogymnoascus destructans decrease in the endemic phase in North America. Nova Scotia Invasive Species Forum. Feb 27. Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. Oral, online
Vanderwolf, KJ, and LP McGuire. 2024. Environmental reservoirs of Pseudogymnoascus destructans decrease in the endemic phase in North America. North American Society for Bat Research Conference, Guadalajara, Mexico, Oct 23-26. oral
Vanderwolf, KJ, H Broders, D McAlpine, and L McGuire. 2024. Environmental reservoirs of a wildlife pathogen (Pseudogymnoascus destructans) decrease in the endemic phase in North America. Joint Mycological Society of America and Canadian Fungal Network conference. June 9-12, Markham, Ontario, Canada.
Vanderwolf, KJ, H Broders, D McAlpine, and L McGuire. 2024. Environmental reservoirs of a wildlife pathogen (Pseudogymnoascus destructans) decrease in the endemic phase in North America. White-nose Syndrome Virtual Meeting. June 11-13.

This grant will be used to transport the new mobile CaveSim trailer from Manitou Springs, CO to the OTR site and back. The requested amount is calculated by multiplying the round-trip distance (2996 miles, including detours to hotels and fuel en-route) by the CaveSim mileage rate ($2.87/mile). The mileage rate is set at a level that allows CaveSim to pay for vehicle upkeep, trailer upkeep, vehicle insurance, general liability insurance, lodging on the road, and fuel. The rate is published at www.cavesim.com/publicevents/pricing. Please note that we are NOT including the per-day program rate in our request, so we are providing our time (including paid CaveSim staff time) free of charge. Please see the attached spreadsheet for a detailed budget.

We will provide educational programs for kids and adults with a focus on cave conservation, exploration, and science. We will bring the mobile CaveSim system to OTR to enable OTR participants (especially kids) to explore CaveSim and receive feedback about their careful caving skills. The mobile CaveSim system that I created has electronic scoring that detects when speleothems are touched, and provides visitors with negative feedback for touching speleothems, and positive feedback for picking up trash in the artificial cave. We were asked this past week by two organizations in TAG (Forsyth County, GA parks department and East Forsyth High School) to do CaveSim programs in September, and this funding would also make it possible for us to educate the general public and about 200 high school students about cave conservation. We will also likely do programs in Virginia because we have been asked by organizations in Blacksburg and elsewhere to do CaveSim programs. CaveSim education serves people of all ages and ability levels, but the programs are especially effective at getting kids interested in cave exploration and conservation because the programs are fun and also aligned with state academic standards. A video that showcases a typical elementary school program is available at https://youtu.be/hzmsoqxw_dg and a typical middle school program can be seen at https://vimeo.com/1143314110?fl=tl&fe=ec

We will provide a fun, educational, constructive activity for kids and adults at OTR with a strong emphasis on the protection of caves and their natural content (a TRA goal). CaveSim is always very popular with kids at caver events (e.g., Texas Caver Reunion, NSS Conventions, etc.), and it helps the events to be more appealing for kids to attend. It also helps caver kids to see that they (and their adults) are perhaps not quite as skilled at "soft" caving as they thought. We will have our vertical caving A-frame set up so that kids and adults can learn about haul systems for cave rescue, and we will educate participants about safe caving techniques and equipment (a TRA goal). By educating kids at schools and parks in TAG, we will introduce non-caving youth and adults to the world of caving in a way that helps them understand how to get into caving in a responsible, conservation-minded manner. Our events at East Forsyth HS (which asked us to come back in the fall) have been very successful for the past two years. High school students can be hard to impress, but we had nearly universal enthusiasm for the CaveSim program. Some students were excited about cave rescue because they were in firefighter training programs. Other students were excited about carbide lamps and caving history because they were collectors of old items. Other students liked the physical nature of the CaveSim activities. The CaveSim program is clearly a way to get non-cavers excited about caves, and we reach new people every time we do programs.

The primary product will be educated children and adults, both cavers and non-cavers. We find that the vast majority of non-caver participants do not become cavers, but do develop a better understanding of why caves and cave conservation are important. By focusing our programs on kids (who are more mentally flexible than most adults), we are working to create generations of people who are not afraid of caves, but who love and respect them.

Goal 1: Bring CaveSim to OTR for the 2026 event. Goal 2: Reduce the cost for schools and parks in TAG and elsewhere in the southeast so that they can afford to have us bring CaveSim to their sites (they will pay the additional mileage from OTR to their sites, instead of the total mileage from Colorado to their locations). Provide educational programs at no cost to participants so that they can learn about caving safely and softly with experiences that they do not need to pay for.

We have already started communicating with schools and parks about participating with CaveSim in September of this year. We will continue this communication effort to engage as many schools, parks, and other organizations as possible. In September, we will bring CaveSim Trailer3 to OTR (it typically takes us 3 to 4 days to drive from Colorado to West Virginia).

CaveSim Trailer3 is fully functional and has had over 30,000 participants since being unveiled at NSSCON2024. Our vertical caving tower is also fully functional. See www.cavesim.com/trailer3 for pictures. We have a 3/4 ton diesel truck that hauls CaveSim, and we will use that truck to transport the 10,000 pound mobile cave. Once at the OTR site, we will use on-site electrical power or a generator to run the mobile cave. We have paid CaveSim staff who will help to run the program, and we will work with OTR staff to ensure that OTR attendees are aware of the opportunity to explore CaveSim for free during the event. We will also work with OTR staff to ensure that we set hours of operation that are conducive to safe usage of the mobile cave (for example, we may determine that it is not advisable to stay open too late each evening because we don't want inebriated individuals to hurt themselves while exploring). We have general liability insurance, and we will be happy to provide a Certificate of Additional Insured naming TRA and/or OTR as an Additional Insured. We have a page that shows the footprint of the CaveSim setup (www.cavesim.com/site-logistics), and we will work with OTR staff prior to the event to determine the best location on the OTR site for CaveSim. We can do a site walk-through at any time prior to the event by using a video call. With regard to our public programs, we have already begun contacting non-caver organizations, and we will make sure to optimize our schedule to work with as many organizations as possible during the trip. Depending on the schedule needs of these other organizations, we may do pre-, post-, or pre- and post-OTR events. We will use www.cavesim.com/calendar to allow the public to see where we will be doing events, and we will also work with the other organizations to maximize public participation (we have a media kit with pictures and written copy that organizations can use: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1937hXbL6DAdyPodob7FnqExFla6qLVEx?usp=drive_link)

One way that we gauge project success is by making note of quotes and testimonials from participants and also from staff within the organizations that we work with (schools, parks, etc.) We also gauge success by taking pictures (with permission) during events to capture the responses that participants have. We generally include pictures and quotes in our grant reports. At public events, we also ask adults to provide feedback to us via Google Reviews, and we have an NFC card that participants can tap with their phones to go to our Google Reviews page to leave feedback. Another way that we gauge project success is by keeping a count of how many participants we have. This can be difficult because we don't have the bandwidth to dedicate one person to using a counter all day, but the CaveSim software keeps track of how many trips are taken in a given day through the mobile cave. We typically find that the number of trips taken is roughly equal to the number of participants because some participants go through multiple times, but some adult participants engage with us by staying outside the cave and learning from our demonstrations. We will report the number of participants in our grant report.

We typically write an article for the NSS News at least once per year (often for the Conservation Issue), and we would be happy to write an article for the NSS News covering this project. I am also happy to generate a grant results report as I have done for other organizations in the past (such as Cave Conservancy of the Virginias). We often post signs on the mobile cave recognizing sponsors, and we would be happy to do so for TRA. If TRA has a banner that you would like us to display, we would be happy to do that as well. We often post the logos and/or pictures of sponsors on our sponsor page, which is www.cavesim.com/support. Sponsor logos can be clickable links that take people from our site to the sponsor organization's website, and we would be happy to do that for TRA.

To help with operating costs & equipment. (If TRA has a particular desire we can apply your grant to that).

All cavers with any degree of risk, including the public, NSS grottos and cave club members, etc. in WV, VA, Pa, NC, Md & De.

There are approximately three cave rescues per year, just in VA, WV and PA. Sometimes more. Some are life threatening and require a great deal of manpower, equipment, training, and organization. We will significantly help to meet this need with our resources and organization.

Saving lives & mitigating suffering.

To maintain a fully functional cave rescue organization which will save lives and mitigate suffering.

We are currently in-service and plan to be indefinitely. Pocahontas County, WV 9-1-1 is answering the phones for us. We have a MOA with them!

Some of the things we have done so far are:

● We are now Incorporated in Virginia.
● Written and voted on a organizational Constitution & By-Laws
● Written and implemented various operational Standard Operating Guidelines (SOG’s)
● Right now we have approximately 60 members, but are looking to get twice that number.
● Obtained our 501[c]3 status (Attached)
● Maintain our bank account (Truist)
● Maintaining our own website and Facebook pages.
● Continue fundraising as a 501[c]3 charitable organization. (Currently we have $7700 raised and, in the bank) We need ~$5000.00 to “keep the lights on” (VA Corporation fee, I Am Responding, Insurance, etc.)
● Obtained our own PayPal account so donors can contribute to our efforts easily.
● Obtained permission from the NCRC to use their cache equipment until we get our own.
● Our dispatching system ( I Am Responding ) is operational.


Some of the things yet to do:

Obtain a sustainable funding source

Recruit new members

Work with VDEM and other rescue groups for a cooperative venture.

When we help save a life or mitigate suffering with our own resources, and members.

We have a Public Information Officer (PIO) who will report actions to the press and caving community publications. The TRA is recognized on our website for your support: https://www.cacrt.com/sponsorship

The funds will be used for stable (carbon and sulfur) isotope analysis of samples from four separate locations within the cave, as well as 6 different microbial samples (16S rDNA sequencing of unique isolated colonies in culture, as well as sequence identification and genome identification of genetic material preserved in hand samples).

We have also requested approx. $500 from WVACS for the same project, and this is enough to fund analysis of only a fraction of the samples collected.
Receipt of grant funding from TRA will be used to enable a complete analysis of our entire dataset, and increase the resolution and reliability of the data we obtain. If we receive sufficient funds, we will also have the ability to add on additional analyses (molecular identification of hand samples, confirmation of biomineralization by cultured bacteria, scanning electron microscopy of fluorescent colonies growing directly on specimens of gypsum gravel breakdown obtained within the cave). These analyses would further enhance the utility of the final publication and provide support to future research.

This project directly benefits the scientific community, including research in speleology, microbiology, and cave conservation. We are conducting a research project aimed at investigating the microbial complexity of Simmons-Mingo cave, including the incidence and proliferation of pencillin resistant microbes. The landowners controlling access to the cave have requested a copy of the research findings for their own interest.

The most practical benefit will include a map of the spatial distribution of the penicillin-resistant microbiome, which serves as a way to identify the zones hazardous to cavers sensitive to penicillin-producing organisms (there have been instances already of suspected allergic reaction in the area where penicillin-producing molds are suspected to grow).
There exists a more academic benefit to the field of speleology--our project aims to describe how the mineralogy, air flow paths, and overall morphology of the cave itself control the abundance and complexity of the cave microbiome. Having a generalizable and abstract understanding of the controls on cave microbiome distribution and composition can further the understanding of how microbiomes form and proliferate in caves in general, not just the study area.

A scientific publication--one that could be published in an academic journal. We will seek to publish our results in the Journal of Cave and Karst Studies.

We have already conducted a sampling trip in order to survey the cave microbiome. We have also already successfully cultured native penicillin-resistant microbes and are now looking to conduct 16S rDNA sequencing to definitively identify the cultured specimens, as well as stable isotope analysis in order to characterize the metabolic profile of the microbiome of the cave within the study area (looking to find evidence of sulfur and carbon cycling, i.e. microbes directly feeding off of the rock and forming the base of a microbial ecosystem).

The culturing and sample collection steps are already complete. If we receive funding, we will use it to send cultured specimens to a genetic sequencing lab (ASU) as well as a stable isotope analysis lab (UMD Dept. of Geology).
This would take about a week for shipping of samples to the labs, 1-3 weeks (depending on the labs' workload and staffing) for the labs' processing of the samples, and 1-3 days to receive the resulting data electronically.

Once the data is obtained, it will be a matter of days to include the new data into the existing draft of the research paper in progress.

Sample collection is complete as is a draft of the paper and summary of the work so far. Samples for further lab analysis have been already identified and isolated and we are simply awaiting grant funding so as to be able to package samples and send them to their respective labs.

Once we receive results from the labs identified, our work will be complete and publishable. This includes positive as well as negative results--any data we receive will be useful and definitely worth including in the final publication.

The results (already completed as well as pending data) will be included in a publication and will be submitted to JCKS for publication and dissemination to the scientific caving community.

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Testing Spring Grant Cycle access to application

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deadline 15 February

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Business Inquiry

Hi there,

I tried emailing you, but it bounced for some reason... so I’m reaching out here instead.

I’m Beverly with Remote Solution Team. We provide Virtual Assistants to help with Prospecting, Administration, CRM management, drip campaigns, Graphic Design, and Bookkeeping. We also offer advanced AI-driven prospecting & appointment setting to help you fill your calendar with high-quality meetings.

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Hi there,

I tried emailing you, but it bounced for some reason... so I’m reaching out here instead.

I’m Beverly with Remote Solution Team. We provide Virtual Assistants to help with Prospecting, Administration, CRM management, drip campaigns, Graphic Design, and Bookkeeping. We also offer advanced AI-driven prospecting & appointment setting to help you fill your calendar with high-quality meetings.

Would you be open to exploring how we can support you?

Business Inquiry

Hi there,

I tried emailing you, but it bounced for some reason... so I’m reaching out here instead.

I’m Beverly with Remote Solution Team. We provide Virtual Assistants to help with Prospecting, Administration, CRM management, drip campaigns, Graphic Design, and Bookkeeping. We also offer advanced AI-driven prospecting & appointment setting to help you fill your calendar with high-quality meetings.

Would you be open to exploring how we can support you?

6 weeks

Hi there,

I tried emailing you, but it bounced for some reason... so I’m reaching out here instead.

I’m Beverly with Remote Solution Team. We provide Virtual Assistants to help with Prospecting, Administration, CRM management, drip campaigns, Graphic Design, and Bookkeeping. We also offer advanced AI-driven prospecting & appointment setting to help you fill your calendar with high-quality meetings.

Would you be open to exploring how we can support you?

Hi there,

I tried emailing you, but it bounced for some reason... so I’m reaching out here instead.

I’m Beverly with Remote Solution Team. We provide Virtual Assistants to help with Prospecting, Administration, CRM management, drip campaigns, Graphic Design, and Bookkeeping. We also offer advanced AI-driven prospecting & appointment setting to help you fill your calendar with high-quality meetings.

Would you be open to exploring how we can support you?

Business Inquiry

Virtual Assistant Services

I’m Anna with Remote Solution Team. We provide Virtual Assistants to help with Prospecting, Administration, CRM management, drip campaigns, Graphic Design, and Bookkeeping. We also offer advanced AI-driven prospecting & appointment setting to help you fill your calendar with high-quality meetings.

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I’m Anna with Remote Solution Team. We provide Virtual Assistants to help with Prospecting, Administration, CRM management, drip campaigns, Graphic Design, and Bookkeeping. We also offer advanced AI-driven prospecting & appointment setting to help you fill your calendar with high-quality meetings.

Would you be open to exploring how we can support you?

Virtual Assistant Services

I’m Anna with Remote Solution Team. We provide Virtual Assistants to help with Prospecting, Administration, CRM management, drip campaigns, Graphic Design, and Bookkeeping. We also offer advanced AI-driven prospecting & appointment setting to help you fill your calendar with high-quality meetings.

Would you be open to exploring how we can support you?

Virtual Assistant Services

I’m Anna with Remote Solution Team. We provide Virtual Assistants to help with Prospecting, Administration, CRM management, drip campaigns, Graphic Design, and Bookkeeping. We also offer advanced AI-driven prospecting & appointment setting to help you fill your calendar with high-quality meetings.

Would you be open to exploring how we can support you?

I’m Anna with Remote Solution Team. We provide Virtual Assistants to help with Prospecting, Administration, CRM management, drip campaigns, Graphic Design, and Bookkeeping. We also offer advanced AI-driven prospecting & appointment setting to help you fill your calendar with high-quality meetings.

Would you be open to exploring how we can support you?

I’m Anna with Remote Solution Team. We provide Virtual Assistants to help with Prospecting, Administration, CRM management, drip campaigns, Graphic Design, and Bookkeeping. We also offer advanced AI-driven prospecting & appointment setting to help you fill your calendar with high-quality meetings.

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**Use of Grant Funds**

Grant funds will be used to purchase essential components for the resistivity survey system, including electrodes, relays, data acquisition hardware, and a waterproof enclosure. Additional funding will cover wiring, connectors, and materials needed for reliable field deployment. Any remaining funds will support prototyping supplies, and documentation materials to ensure the system is well-built, field-ready, and replicable.

This project serves student researchers, cavers, and conservationists who need a reliable and affordable way to detect underground voids. It supports safe and efficient cave exploration in areas where traditional access is limited. The tool also benefits landowners and scientists working in karst regions across Appalachia.

Got it — here's a refined version focused purely on the benefits:

---

This project will generate new data on subsurface geology, helping to expand scientific understanding of cave systems. It encourages innovation through student-led hardware and software development in real-world conditions. The tool’s portability and affordability make it ideal for rapid deployment in fieldwork, improving efficiency in site evaluation and environmental studies.

The primary output of this project will be a fully functional, portable resistivity survey system capable of detecting underground voids. Additional products include field-validated data from test sites, documentation of system performance, and a detailed build guide to support replication by other student groups or researchers. Together, these deliverables will contribute to safer cave exploration and expanded geophysical research capacity.

Project Goals

1. Design and build a portable, low-cost resistivity survey system for detecting subsurface anomalies.
2. Validate system performance through controlled field testing at known cave sites.
3. Create documentation and analysis tools to support future use, replication, and continued research.

Phase 1 – Research & Planning (July–August 2025):
Finalize system design, select components, and outline software architecture.

Phase 2 – Prototyping & Testing (September–October 2025):
Assemble the circuit, write initial code, and conduct bench tests on hardware and data acquisition.

Phase 3 – Field Validation (October–November 2025):
Conduct surveys at known cave sites, evaluate system accuracy, and refine hardware/software as needed.

Phase 4 – Documentation & Reporting (November 2025):
Analyze field data, prepare a build guide and technical report, and present results at the TRA Roundtable.

The team will hold weekly meetings to coordinate progress, troubleshoot issues, and plan upcoming tasks. Hands-on work will take place during scheduled evening work sessions and weekend build days, depending on member availability. Tasks will be divided among team leads for hardware, software, and testing, with shared documentation to track milestones. The first month will focus on design and prototyping, followed by integration, field testing, and final documentation in the fall. Regular updates will ensure the project stays on schedule and ready for presentation by the TRA deadline.

**Success Criteria**

The project will be considered a success if the resistivity system can reliably detect known subsurface voids during field tests. Additional success indicators include stable hardware performance in outdoor conditions, clean data acquisition with repeatable results, and a complete build guide for future replication. Feedback from field users and faculty advisors will further validate the system’s usability, accuracy, and educational value.

Results will be shared at the TRA Grants Roundtable and through a detailed final report submitted to TRA. We also plan to prepare a project summary for potential publication in a regional caving bulletin or the NSS Techniques & Equipment section. Additionally, documentation—including system schematics, build instructions, and field data—will be compiled into a digital package available to student grottos or caving groups interested in replicating the system.

To pay for the C14 lab testing

Ray Garton

This project serves the caving community and their tireless efforts in supporting cave science since the beginning days of the NSS.

On behalf of myself and in memory of Fred Grady, we wish to express our gratitude to The Robertson Association for its kind support of Carbon 14 dating of paleontological specimens over the past several years. A lot of important data has been obtained through your generosity in funding Pleistocene fauna research over the past several years. We haven’t had any significant bone samples for several years worthy of Carbon dating but now have a sample that needs dating. The specimen in a nearly complete skull of Megalonyx jeffersonii (giant ground sloth), the WV State Fossil, first described from bones found in Haynes Cave, Monroe County, WV and described by Thomas Jefferson. The skull is from a surface location in Putman County, WV. A successful Carbon dating on this skull will give us important insight into the geologic and biologic history of sloth in North America. The sample will be submitted to Geochron Laboratories in Clemsford, Massachusetts at a cost of approximately $600.

In keeping with how such grants were made in the past we request the grant money be held in trust by the Monongahela Grotto that would pay the invoice once it is obtained. Unless of course this policy has changed and you wish to make the grant directly to myself or Prehistoric Planet, LLC, which will then pay the invoice.

Thank you very much for your consideration.

Ray Garton
NSS 11295, life, fellow, certificate of merit
Past TRA President, Secretary, Trustee, OTR Chair 1995-96

Fred Grady (1948-2023)
NSS 19586, life, fellow, certificate of merit, conservation member, science award, history award.

A successful Carbon dating on this skull will give us important insight into the geologic and biologic history of sloth in North America.

A presentation of results at a future OTR. Publication of results in scientific papers and grotto newsletters.

To determine the age of this important prehistoric specimen.

With secure funding we expect to have results within 120 days.

Submit the sample for testing to Geochron C14 Labs.

The project will be a success if a valid date is returned from the lab. The specimen should be in the 12,000-to-35,000-year range but it could be much older.

A presentation of results at a future OTR. Publication of results in scientific papers and grotto newsletters.

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testing - grant site set to send grant applications to me. I know one application (at least) was submitted, but have not received it. hoping we are not losing applications to the ether....

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All funds will be used to process swab samples of cave walls. We have an additional 228 samples from 19 caves in Maryland, Connecticut, and Virginia collected this past winter that we cannot currently process due to budget constraints. It costs $35.60US per sample for qPCR. Whatever you can contribute would be great to increase the geographic coverage of this project.

Managers of caves/mines, scientific community. Now that white-nose syndrome (WNS) is endemic throughout much of North America, discussions have shifted from cures and treatments to focus instead on how WNS will progress in the coming decades, and how best to support survivors and remnant populations. Such discussions generally assume Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd) environmental reservoirs in hibernacula are pervasive and stable in Pd-endemic areas. Our data in eastern Canada suggests this may not be the case. Management actions targeted at reducing the environmental reservoir may not be the most efficient use of resources if the environmental reservoir has or will naturally decline. As conservation efforts shift from searching for treatments for the disease to supporting remnant populations, understanding the temporal dynamics of the pathogen environmental reservoir is crucial for evaluating the potential costs and benefits of various management actions. If the declines in the environmental reservoir that we observed in eastern Canada prove to be widespread, conservation resources (which are always limited) should be redirected to supporting populations during the active season or supporting hibernating bats directly, rather than directing efforts to reduce the environmental reservoir. To evaluate these scenarios, more information on the long-term persistence of Pd environmental reservoirs is needed over a broader geographic range, with a greater understanding of factors that may contribute to environmental persistence (i.e., the number or species composition of hibernating bats).

This project impacts cave stewardship and the protection of caves and their natural content. If bats are no longer being exposed to Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd) environmental reservoirs in hibernacula in the Pd-endemic zone, then treatments designed to reduce those reservoirs should be carefully considered given the high likelihood of negative non-target effects on hibernacula ecosystems.

A publication. Our results may influence cave management plans and guidance.

We sampled sites in eastern North America in which Pseudogymnoascus destructans was first confirmed > 4 years ago to determine how prevalence and fungal loads have changed over time, and to assess if persistence is affected by bat species composition and surviving bat colony sizes in sites. This will inform whether bats are still being exposed to the fungus in such structures.

The project is largely completed, but we currently do not have the budget to process all our samples. We will submit the samples to the lab for processing as soon as we have the budget to do so. The lab usually takes a week or so to return results. I am hoping to complete the manuscript draft by the fall, or at least by the end of this year.

I recently published a paper showing the environmental reservoirs of the fungal pathogen that causes white-nose syndrome in bats have dramatically decreased in eastern Canada since the disease first turned up there in 2011.
https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ecs2.70149
We expanded the project across eastern North America (the endemic range of the fungus on the continent) to see if the same pattern has happened. This is important because if the fungus is naturally decreasing, attempts to decontaminate caves of the fungus with bleach or other chemical substances would be unnecessary, particularly given that these efforts have unknown effects on other cave fauna, especially other cave microbes. We started the project in 2023 and got great responses from local biologists willing to collect swabs of cave walls during their regular winter cave bat surveys. We received so many samples, we do not have the budget to process them all using the grant we received for that purpose (National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Bats for the Future Fund, $97,400US, https://www.nfwf.org/sites/default/files/2023-12/nfwfbff-20231213-gs.pdf). To date we have processed (qPCR to detect the fungus) 648 samples from 49 caves in 12 states/provinces: Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, New York, Vermont, Rhode Island, Delaware, Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee, South Carolina, and North Carolina. We have an additional 228 samples from 19 caves in Maryland, Connecticut, and Virginia that we cannot currently process due to budget constraints.

We received more than enough samples to complete our project, and analysis and writing are underway. Our preliminary results indicate the load and prevalence of P. destructans environmental reservoirs on walls in hibernacula have decreased compared to previous research done in the first seven years since the fungus was introduced to individual hibernacula in North America. Loads and prevalence of P. destructans environmental reservoirs on walls in hibernacula are not correlated with the number of bats or the bat species composition in sites.

We are still discussing which journal to submit our manuscript, but possibly Functional Ecology or Conservation Biology.
I have already given several presentations about this project, and likely will do more.
Vanderwolf, KJ, and LP McGuire. 2025. Environmental reservoirs of Pseudogymnoascus destructans decrease in the endemic phase in North America. Ontario Bat Network, March 28-29. Parry Sound, Ontario. oral
Vanderwolf, KJ. And LP McGuire. 2025. Environmental reservoirs of Pseudogymnoascus destructans decrease in the endemic phase in North America. Nova Scotia Invasive Species Forum. Feb 27. Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. Oral, online
Vanderwolf, KJ, and LP McGuire. 2024. Environmental reservoirs of Pseudogymnoascus destructans decrease in the endemic phase in North America. North American Society for Bat Research Conference, Guadalajara, Mexico, Oct 23-26. oral
Vanderwolf, KJ, H Broders, D McAlpine, and L McGuire. 2024. Environmental reservoirs of a wildlife pathogen (Pseudogymnoascus destructans) decrease in the endemic phase in North America. Joint Mycological Society of America and Canadian Fungal Network conference. June 9-12, Markham, Ontario, Canada.
Vanderwolf, KJ, H Broders, D McAlpine, and L McGuire. 2024. Environmental reservoirs of a wildlife pathogen (Pseudogymnoascus destructans) decrease in the endemic phase in North America. White-nose Syndrome Virtual Meeting. June 11-13.

To help purchase the items mentioned above....... we are really close to being operational.

All cave explorers with any degree of risk, including the public, NSS grottos and cave club members, etc.

To become a fully funded cave rescue organization which will save lives and mitigating suffering.

A well trained and operational cave rescue team.

We will be a well trained and operational cave rescue team.

We will be in-service by Summer 2025. Since last year we have incorporated (as an LLC), and grown in our financial situation. We have had two full-blown cave rescue drills and vertical rescue drills. We have an in-service dispatching application (I Am Responding).

We are struggling to raise the amount of money to pay for the insurance. Right now we HAVE liability insurance (Which is ~$4000/year) our medical will be about $3000/year. So the total insurance needs are about $7000/year. I am working very hard to get us affiliated with a fire department or rescue squad (like Blacksburg Cave Rescue is) so our medical/workers comp will be taken care of by tax money by being a part of their group. We are still borrowing NCRC equipment but need other items like hammer drills, bolts, rope, rigging gear, and other things. I am running raffles at VAR's, collecting donations at other cave events and am submitting other grant requests to NSS, Firehouse Subs, VRSAF ( https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/emergency-medical-services/administration-finance/rsaf-grants-program/ ), Mission BBQ, and many more. If you need any more documents such as Articles of Incorporation, bank statements, etc. let me know and I will get them to you.

Getting in-service and responding to rescues.

A well trained and operational cave rescue team.

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The funding provided by this grant will fund the laboratory expenses required to complete the study. Materials requested for funding include two DNEasy Power Water DNA Extraction kits ($1,072 each).

This project serves a diverse group of "cavers" and "non-cavers," including the scientific community, the public, landowners, and many more. Because the field work required of this project occurs in Merritt's Mill Pond, accessible through the public Jackson County State Park area, community members and cave divers in the area have expressed interest in the nature of the project, how it effects them, and what they can do to assist. This provides an unique opportunity for myself and my fellow researchers to share our work with the public and educate the community on the purpose of our work. In addition, contributing non-invasive monitoring techniques to the scientific community and natural resource agencies alike is a main priority of this project.

Optimization of an eDNA detection assay will aid natural resource managers with a methodology to allow for continued, long-term monitoring of imperiled species in dangerous habitats, such as the Georgia Blind Cave Salamander. In addition, raising awareness to the diversity and presence of such an interesting creature in these cave environments is crucial in advocating for the protection of this vulnerable species.

As previously stated, the main outcome of this project is to provide an effective methodology for natural resource managers and scientists to detect and monitor the Georgia Blind Cave Salamander, as well as assess the ecological relationships of present animals in an environment that requires extensive training and monetary support to work in. In addition, the outcomes of this project will be made publicly available to community members, the caving community and government agencies. Several components of the project will be published in multiple scientific journals, including Conservation Biology, The Journal of the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, and others.

The objective of this study is to target the Georgia Blind Cave Salamander (Eurycea wallacei) in several historical sites in northwestern Florida to determine the feasibility of using environmental DNA (eDNA) assays to detect a species of low abundance using both passive and active sampling techniques, as well as conduct an ecological survey of other co-occurring metazoan species within the system.

This project began in August of 2023 and will continue into late summer of 2025 as the applicant's Master's Thesis at Southeastern Louisiana University under the advisement of Dr. Christopher Beachy and Dr. Kyle Piller. The project is broken down into these phases:
1. Preliminary method testing and species-specific primer and protocol development.
2. Cave-Diving certification
3. Field collection
4. Laboratory analysis
5. Next-Generation Sequencing
6. Data Analysis
7. Thesis defense, publication of findings

According to the project timeline phases, the following goals will be completed:
1. Preliminary method testing and species-specific primer and protocol development.
a. Species-specific methodology will be developed in the laboratory to ensure that
we can effectively detect the salamander in a captive colony of the species
before utilizing the techniques with field samples.
2. Cave-Diving certification
a. Due to the certifications required for the PI to enter the underwater cave
systems to collect water samples, Gretchen will complete her TDI Cave
certification in Summer 2025 prior to collecting any cave samples.
3. Field collection
a. 1500ml of water will be collected at three locations within each cave locality -
surface, cavern entrance, and within the cave. These three locations were
chosen to gauge the distance in which researchers must enter the system in
order to detect the salamander.
4. Laboratory analysis
a. Water samples will be filtered, followed by DNA extraction, PCR amplification,
visualization of successful DNA detection with gel electrophoresis, and
prepared to be sent to a third-party organization for next-generation
sequencing.
5. Next-Generation Sequencing
a. Amplified DNA samples will be sent to a third-party organization for
next-generation sequencing. This will sequence every strand of unique DNA
present in the sample.
6. Data Analysis
a. Sequence data will be statistically analyzed by the applicant. Bioinformatics
techniques will be used by the applicant to determine presence or absence of
Eurycea wallacei, as well as characterize the metazoan DNA present in each
sample.
7. Thesis defense, publication of findings
a. The culmination of this project will be presented and defended during the
applicant's public thesis defense. Any and all findings of the project will be
published through applicable scientific journals, as well as shared with the
community, government agencies, etc.

The determination of the validity of using environmental DNA to detect Eurycea wallacei could give us two answers - it worked, or it didn't work. Both answers are just as effective in determining next steps of monitoring the elusive species. If the assay was successful, this could be applied to many different rare species from a variety of different biomes. If the assay was ineffective in detecting the salamander, then we can pursue alternative monitoring techniques to ensure the protection of this salamander.

The culmination of this project will be presented and defended during the applicant's public thesis defense. Any and all findings of the project will be published through applicable scientific journals, as well as shared with the community, local government agencies, etc. Scientific journals we hope to publish the outcomes of this project in include NSS, Conservation Biology, The Journal of the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, and others.

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After thinking each day how to make cavers happy I will refresh myself at Starbucks

NSS

Cavers everywhere will rejoice

A bunch of rejoicing cavers

To make cavers happy

6 months

Each day I will think of something to make cavers happy and then hit Starbucks for a refreshment

I will ask cavers if they are happy

Will shout from the rooftops that cavers are rejoicing