Group & Grotto Conservation Awards
Recognition is awarded annually by the NSS Conservation Division/Committee to NSS Internal Organizations that do the most for cave conservation and management.
Nominate a Grotto or Group for NSS Conservation Recognition
NSS Conservation will recognize one Group and one Grotto for their efforts in cave/karst conservation. Awards will be announced and presented each year at the annual NSS Convention.
Nominate through e-mail. Send a letter and photos describing your team, your projects, your team, your partnerships, and your ongoing work.
Send to Conservation Committee Awards Chair, Kathleen M. Lavoie, PhD lavoiekh@plattsburgh.edu
More info …
- Two Awards can be presented each year.
- Any NSS Grotto can apply.
- The Group Award can go to any NSS I/O (Internal Organization) in good standing with the NSS: an NSS Conservation Task Force, NSS commission, committee, subcommittee of a committee, division, conservancy, expedition, project, region, section, survey, taskforce, affinity group, institutional member, or a subunit of any of the above.
- For consideration for either of the two awards, please send a letter of application or nomination summarizing your contributions to cave or karst conservation, along with any supporting documentation and letters of support to Conservation Committee Awards Chair, Kathy Lavoie. lavoiekh@plattsburgh.edu
- Grottos and Groups who submit project articles with images for the NSSNews Annual Conservation Issue receive special consideration for the G&G Awards (Group and Grotto Awards). Please submit articles by December 31 each year to werks@cunacueva.com
Individual Conservation Award
This is a continuation of the former NSS Conservation Award that was given from 1975 to 1993. In 1994, the NSS changed this annual award to recognize an individual caver for service to cave conservation over a number of years and chose Robb Stitt as the first individual recipient for his decades of leadership in NSS cave and karst conservation. At that point, the C/M Section decided to continue to offer the old I/O award under a different name, as encouragement for Grottos and other NSS Internal Organizations to continue their work in cave conservation. In 2005, the NSS changed the name of this award to include the name of Victor A. Schmidt in recognition of his contributions to early cave conservation.
Victor A. Schmidt Conservation Award
The Victor A. Schmidt Conservation Award annually recognizes one NSS member who, over time, has demonstrated outstanding dedication to the conservation of caves. Nominations go to the NSS Awards Committee, and the recipient will be approved by the Board of Governors upon recommendation of the Awards Committee.
The recipient must have been a member in good standing of the Society for at least two years immediately prior to his name being submitted as a candidate. The Awards Committee shall give preference to candidates who have not received the Outstanding Service Award or Honorary Membership.
To nominate a caver for this Individual Conservation Award, see the links below and contact:
Bob Vandeventer
vandeventerbob@netzero.net
317-888-4501
525 Lawndale Drive
Greenwood IN 46142-3904
Award Links
Main NSS Awards Page
Past Recipients (then click on Previous Awardees in left-hand menu)
