Southwestern Region
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Founded in 1962, the Southwestern Region of the NSS is a Region of the National Speleological Society. The Southwestern Region is a non-profit organization to further the discovery, exploration, scientific study, and conservation of caves, and to promote safe techniques of cave exploration. The Southwestern Region spans New Mexico, west Texas, and eastern Arizona. These boundaries overlap boundaries recognized by the Texas Speleological Association and the Arizona Regional Association.
The Southwest Region published the Southwestern Caver. Issues are available online. Click below to see them or to subscribe.
Contact Information
Officers
SWR Chair
Andrea Landaker(andrea@icecavern.net)
SWR Vice Chair
Jason Banegas(jadesmith3@gmail.com)
SWR Secretary
Janine Smith(jadesmith3@gmail.com)
SWR Treasurer
Ron Lipinski(rjlipin@msn.com)
()
Meeting Information
More Information
Regular membership is $15 per year, and includes six issues of the Southwestern Cavers
newsletter. Additional family members (living at the same address) are an additional $2 each, but do not receive the newsletter. The individual members (regular or family) present at a Regional meeting are the voting members of the Region; member grottos have no voting franchise.
Please note: joining the SWR does not automatically sign you up for the email list, you will receive the paper newsletter. See below for how to sign up for the email list.
You may pay online by using THIS FORM
Alternatively, make your check or money order payable to “Southwestern Region of the NSS”. Please include name(s), mailing address, phone number, email address(es), primary grotto affiliation, NSS number(s) (if applicable), and type of membership (regular or family) for each person and mail to the SWR Treasurer:
Southwestern Region of the NSS
Ron Lipinski
12904 Manitoba Dr NE
Albuquerque, NM 87111
swregiontres@gmail.com
Sign up for the email list by emailing swregiontres@gmail.com or swrNSSchair@gmail.com to get added to the email list.
The Southwestern Region of the NSS Patty Daw Memorial Grant program provides small grants to individuals / organizations for cave/karst scientific research and/or cave conservation purposes. The deadline for applying for a grant is September 30th. An SWR member can download thePatty Daw Memorial Grant Individual Form to request a grant for a worthwhile cave or karst-related project. Organizations or individuals can apply for a grant using the Patty Daw Memorial Grant Organization Form. Completed applications / request forms should be mailed to the SWR Treasurer at the address above.
This annual award has been created to recognize a SWR member who has demonstrated outstanding efforts in Cave Conservation, Restoration, Formation Repair, Innovation, and Project Support. The Stalactijack is one of Mike’s inventions that is used to support broken cave formations while they are being repaired and epoxied. One model is spring loaded, and the other contains an all thread and nut to provide upward or lateral pressure on the formation. It has been used on formations weighing more than 40 pounds.
Nominations for this award will be collected from the SWR membership the month prior to the Annual SWR Winter Technical Meeting. The recipients will need to be an active member of the SWR in order to be eligible for the award. The recipient will be rated on a combined score of 1-10 in each category to make up a total score in the above categories. Past recipients of the Stalactijack Award and Mike Mansur will make up the committee who will make the final decision on the winner, who will then be announced at the SWR Winter Technical Meeting each year. The winner will receive a certificate and a $100 cash award. The funding for this award has already been established and provided by Mike Mansur. Each year the winner is announced at the SWR Winter Technical.
The past recipients of this award are:
2022- Michael Moffitt
2021- Carrin Rich
2020- Minori Yoshida and Todd Roberts
2019- Lois Manno
Southwestern Region Events
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