New president’s profile: Rachael Lindsey

I am writing to you today with great appreciation. Over the past several years, I have learned, grown, and experienced this beautiful world in new and spectacular ways because of this group of humans. Growing up in Tennessee and Kentucky, I had an affinity for limestone, forests, water, and caves. My career followed my love for ecology. But, until recently, caves were more of a fascinating curiosity than a daily pursuit. I am now, along with all of you who have guided me on this path, an outspoken cave advocate to the rest of the world.

Our community’s efforts to protect, steward, and research caves have never been more vital. Caves are a long-overlooked and widely neglected natural resource of vast and critical importance. Caves offer an opportunity for connection to the natural world in a way that is interesting and exciting, even for people who are scared to go in them. It’s an unexplored world right under our feet. Caves are a unique and fragile environment that harbor strange and rare creatures. Caves and formations are testaments to the power of a raindrop to erode and deposit solid rock. Plus, caves are cool. Our Texas Cave Management Association work this year and beyond shares what is obvious to our caving community – caves are life – with the greater world.

TCMA is entirely volunteer-run, and all our success is thanks to this passionate community of people who dedicate their time and energy to finding, exploring, researching, protecting, and sharing our cave resources. I am honored to give back to this community through leading TCMA this year. I am still “getting my sea legs” and I’ll be looking to y’all to help make waves with me. Special thanks to Jay Jorden for creating this Spring Convention newsletter. I hope you’ll find something to spur your continued participation with TCMA. Strap your helmets on and let’s go caving!