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UID:pretalx-nss-convention-2026-8MQ8XM@talks.caving.dev
DTSTART;TZID=EST:20260708T163000
DTEND;TZID=EST:20260708T170000
DESCRIPTION:The 2025 Philippine-American Joint Speleological Expedition was
  the tenth cave exploration and mapping initiative organized by the Philip
 pine caver Mikko Cuevas. These annual expeditions provide an opportunity f
 or cavers from the National Speleological Society (NSS) to work with a hos
 t of Philippine cavers and organizations to map and explore caves in Sulta
 n Kudarat and Agusan del Sur provinces. In the process the NSS cavers lear
 n from their Philippine counterparts and team members about the caves and 
 karst and culture of the area\, while sharing some of their own knowledge 
 of cave mapping\, exploration and vertical techniques.\n\nThe 2025 expedit
 ion was certainly a unique adventure\, populated by some fascinating chara
 cters\, from the enigmatic Sir Arnel\, director of the local museum and ex
 traordinary cultural and ecological knowledge resource\, to the myriad mem
 bers of the Sarangani Bay Area Outdoor Club. Additionally\, every caving e
 xpedition should have a resident illustrator to document the caves\, plant
 s\, people and wildlife. On the 2025 expedition the amazing wildlife conse
 rvationist artist Dao Van Hoang drafted and painted alongside the cave map
 pers and explorers to create a stunning visual record of the expedition.\n
 \nOn the rest days\, team members were able to visit the fascinating Agusa
 n Marsh Wetland\, home to the floating village of the Manobo Indigenous pe
 ople and a vital wetland ecosystem protecting a vast biodiversity of birds
 \, animals and plants. To add to the interest of the cave exploration and 
 mapping\, we were greeted by two earthquakes and the expedition was then f
 ollowed by a couple of typhoons as cavers made their way home.\n\nDespite 
 all of this\, the expedition contributed to the exploration and mapping of
  some important classified caves\, and to the discovery and connection of 
 a number of individual caves into what clearly will become a major cave sy
 stem on the Marmol mountain.
DTSTAMP:20260826T232245Z
LOCATION:Auditorium
SUMMARY:Continued Exploration in Mindanao\, Philippines - 
URL:https://talks.caving.dev/nss-convention-2026/talk/8MQ8XM/
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