UIS Commission on Karst Hydrogeology and Speleogenesis

The 15th International Congress of Speleology (ICS) Organizing Committee is working hard toward providing you an excellent conference in 2009. Some of this effort is beginning to appear as updates on our website: www.ics2009.us . I will send you specific information on most of those later, but I want to share one special update here.

The home page of the website has been expanded. It now lists our sponsors and supporters. On behalf of the 15th ICS Organizing Committee, I want to thank and recognize these organizations that are providing money and other contributions to make the 15th ICS an excellent conference and at the lowest possible price. They will be featured in our circulars, as well as the website, and in other ways during and leading up to the ICS. We urge you to show your appreciation to these sponsors by supporting their services and buying their products.

I will briefly describe each below, but first let me ask that if you work, belong to, or have some influence or affiliation with a company, agency, or organization, ask if they would be willing to sponsor the ICS. They don?t have to be in the US or specifically cave-related to benefit from sponsoring the ICS. If you would like information on how to sponsor the ICS and what the ICS offers in return, contact Fund Raising Chairman Ron Ralph at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . All US contributions are tax deductible. We also welcome ideas for possible sponsors, but especially welcome your assistance in contacting them for support!

Please remember, for sponsors to receive maximum exposure through ICS circulars and other media, and to keep ICS registration prices as low as possible for our friends traveling from other countries and for students, we must receive commitments to sponsorship by 1 March 2008!

Our sponsors are divided into four categories based on the amount of their contribution or support.

At the highest ?Karst? level (>$15,000) is the U.S. National Cave and Karst Research Institute.

The ?Cavern? level ($5,000 - $15,000) has the Edwards Aquifer Authority, ESRI, HEB Grocery, and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Not yet shown on the website are the recent sponsorships at this level by the Texas Cave Management Association and the U.S. Geological Survey.

The ?Speleologist? level ($1,000 - $5,000) includes the Hoffman Environmental Institute, the Texas Speleological Association, and the Texas Speleological Survey. Not yet shown on the website is the recent sponsorship by the Bexar Grotto (the caving club closest to the ICS venue which is also doing much of the ICS work) and Good Earth Graphics, which has contributed enough to be elevated from its current website listing of In Kind Support.

In that category, we are happy to list Bat Conservation International, SpeleoProjects, and Switchback Designs.

Again, we thank our generous sponsors and supporters and hope you will join us in supporting them.

 
George Veni

Chairman, 15th International Congress of Speleology

Adjunct Secretary, International Union of Speleology

Executive Director, U.S. National Cave and Karst Research Institute