The 8th International Congress of Speleology (ICS), the first outside Europe, was held in Bowling Green, Kentucky,
in 1981. This fantastic event had
nearly 1100 cavers and cave scientists attending from around the world. It was a landmark event in speleological history, certainly
for the US, but for
other countries too. It widely opened eyes, minds, and lines of communications. So much we now take for granted was a direct result
of that congress,
or an indirect result with the 8th ICS being the first domino to fall and start the chain reaction. A few examples of just how US
cavers benefited
tremendously from that ICS include:
- rebelays ("European style rigging")
- easy access to Petzl and other non-US caving equipment
- "ceiling burner" carbide lights
- a proliferation of outstanding, non-US caving calendars and books
- new and enhanced cave protection laws
- Cave Minerals of the World and countless other scientific collaborations and advances
- a dramatic increase in NSS expeditions outside of the US (not counting Mexico, where collaborations with European cavers began)
- the spurring of several professional careers in cave science and management.
The international cave and karst community similarly gained from interacting with us. And it's going to happen again.
During the 2005 14th ICS in Greece, the NSS bid to host the 15th ICS in Kerrville, Texas, was unanimously accepted.
The ICS is a function of the
International Union of Speleology or "UIS" (the acronym is based on the French translation of the name) and occurs only once every four years. The UIS is
comprised of over 62 member nations, and the US is represented by the NSS. The purpose of the UIS, much like the NSS on a national level, is to promote,
facilitate, and support all aspects of speleology: exploration, science, management, social. The ICS is its biggest event.
So, what does this ICS mean for us NSS members? For example, what happens to the 2009 NSS Convention? Not much, in the sense that all of the familiar
events will be there. The UIS welcomes the host country to hold its annual convention in conjunction with the Congress, and the NSS will
combine its 2009 convention with the ICS. There will be sessions, salons, caving trips, banquets, howdy party, etc., except that the ICS will be like an
NSS Convention on steroids. The best of the best exploration, science, art, photos, techniques, videos, gear, and ideas from around the world will be
presented. You'll be ecstatic with the wealth of wonderful things to do, and frustrated knowing that you won't be able to do them all.
The ICS has some differences from NSS Conventions. Rather than just a one-day geology field trip at the beginning of the week, many trips and field
camps lasting from 2-10 days are run before and after the ICS. They occur in the ICS area, nationally, and in some nearby countries. Over 30 trips will be
offered in 2009. Also, Wednesday is a break from sessions and everyone has the chance to attend one of many outstanding day-long field trips. During most
evenings, a variety of trips will be offered in addition to on-site events. The ICS also lasts longer than an NSS Convention, running from Sunday through
Sunday, with a few extra sessions and meetings, and more non-English languages heard. But basically, the ICS is the same type of event as an NSS Convention - just bigger and more diverse. About 2000 cavers from the US and abroad are expected to attend.
While all of the normal NSS Convention functions will occur, some will have some minor differences. For example, the ICS sessions are chaired by two
people, not one; an expert in the topic from the host country and an expert from the international community. The various salons will be titled as under
the UIS and judged by international panels, but the basic rules, displays, and shows will be the same as the NSS salons. The UIS will have a banquet to
close out the ICS, but the NSS will have its annual Awards Banquet the night before to recognize the outstanding contributions of its members. Of course,
the NSS Congress of Grottos and Board of Governors meetings will be held. Nothing will disappear from the usual NSS Convention agenda and much will be
gained.
"Sounds great! How much will it cost?" Usually, ICS registration is more expensive than an NSS Convention. An ICS offers a lot more. It also needs to
accommodate more people who lack their own transportation to the venue, and need services and assistance not required by residents and people fluent in
the native tongue and customs. As I write this in March 2006, it is too early to accurately estimate the registration fee. However, you can be assured
that, like an NSS Convention, a national team of cavers is volunteering its time and many resources to keep prices as low as possible. Unlike an NSS
Convention, we are aggressively looking for sponsors and grants to cover the cost of any "extras," in addition to minimizing general costs. We already
have a couple of substantial tentative commitments. Our goal is to keep the registration fee as close as possible to that of an NSS Convention, not
only for NSS members but especially for students and people coming from less affluent countries. Whatever the final price,
you will get a great value for your registration fee.
Annual updates on the 2009 ICS will be published in future issues of the NSS News, along with several reports with the final details in 2009. A lot of information, such as details about the venue at Schreiner University and Kerrville, is already available on this website. The website will be updated regularly, so bookmark it for easy reference.
The 2009 ICS Organizing Committee is comprised of over 60 exceptional and dedicated cavers, cave scientists, and cave managers. Many are scattered around the country to handle tasks that don't need to be done in Texas, and the rest in Texas are focused on the local details. The officers of the Organizing Committee are:
- Chairman: George Veni
- Vice-Chairman: Louise Hose
- Secretary: John Moses, secretary@ics2009.us
- Treasurers: Michael and Melissa Cicherski
If you have questions about the ICS, first look over this website. We are designing it to try and answer as many of your questions as possible so we
can focus our energies on organizing an exceptional Congress. However, if you don't find the answers you need, don't hesitate to contact John. He will promptly answer you or put in touch with the right person to answer your questions.
The 8th ICS proved a revolutionary event for speleology. The theme of the 15th ICS is "Karst Horizons," in anticipation that it will surpass the 8th as the most significant speleological event in North America for the new frontiers it will reveal in cave exploration and karst science. I hope to see you there.
