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A lasting gift from Gill Ediger

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Gill at South Texas ranch, 2020

By Joe Ranzau, Treasurer

Most of you knew Gill, or knew of him. For the rest, a short introduction. Gill Ediger started caving as a kid in the storm drains under Sinton, co-founded a grotto at Texas A&I University in 1967, and spent the next fifty-plus years making sure Texas cavers had community, places to gather, reasons to show up, and someone to needle them into doing some of the work. He co-founded the Texas Cavers’ Reunion in 1978, then ran more than twenty of them. He chaired the TSA multiple times, the first and last 27 years apart. He edited The Texas Caver. He compiled the first full membership directory in decades. He led trips to Mexico that turned first-timers into lifelong cavers. He spearheaded building the cabin at Cueva del Brinco for Proyecto Espeleologia Purificacion. He printed many of the T-shirts. He married cavers to each other, some with legal authority. He was also a helicopter pilot in Vietnam, a railroad engineer, a rafter, and a rancher of sorts, and none of that ranked above caving for him.

Gill died on January 4 at 78 after a long decline. Many of you helped care for him in those years. That was his own philosophy coming back to him.

Now, the news I have as Treasurer. Gill left his estate to the Texas Cave Management Association. Per his explicit wishes, the board is in the process of setting up as a permanent endowment to benefit Texas caving. Permanent means the principal stays put and the earnings do the work, year after year, for as long as there are caves in Texas and people who care about them.

Honoring Gill’s legacy
I want to be plain about what this means. Gill did not have children. Cavers were his family. He spent his life building the caverns where our community happens: TCR, the newsletters, the directory, the campground kitchens, the sauna and hot tub, the house on Mockingbird in Austin where you could park your truck while you went to Mexico. His last decision was to make sure that work keeps going after him. It is the same instinct that had him banging pots at dawn on the river so everyone made their miles. He is still getting us moving.

For those who worked and played alongside him, the lesson is not subtle. One person, showing up for fifty years, changes what a community is. Gill did not wait for permission or a committee. His rule was that there are no rules, and his practice was that somebody has to do the work, so he did it. Then he handed you a job.

The board will report on the endowment in future issues of Passages and at our meetings as it is put to use. We would rather do this carefully than quickly, and I expect Gill would have had opinions on both counts.

Two thanks. First to the care team and folks who managed his estate, who spent years keeping Gill safe and at home for as long as possible. Second to Gill. You gave us TCR. You made sure we could contact each other. And you didn’t stop there: multiple caver cabins, a lot of bumper stickers, and now a permanent endowment. We will use it well, just as we’ll value any bequests made by cavers.

Gill wrote a poem in 1970, asking to be laid to rest in a long cave where passing cavers could see him. In a sense, that is what this bequest does. Every project it funds will have him in it.

Vaya con Dios, Gill.

Garrison Brothers Distillery donates $15,000+ to TCMA to protect Caverns of Sonora

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HYE, Texas – Garrison Brothers Distillery this year has donated $15,000+ to Texas Cave Management Association to help protect the world-famous commercial cave, Caverns of Sonora.

On April 3, Distillery Co-founder Nancy Garrison and Distiller Samantha Olvera presented a check for $15,205.00 to TCMA and the Mayfield-Ingham family who own and manage Caverns of Sonora, to help preserve the caverns for all to enjoy for generations to come.

The donation, made possible by Good Bourbon for A Good Cause, represents the total funds raised by Garrison Brothers, the first and oldest legal whiskey distillery in Texas, and the first distillery outside of Kentucky to produce authentic, handcrafted, corn-to-cork bourbon whiskey. Garrison Brothers committed $5 from every bottle sold from their Sonora Texas Straight Bourbon Finished in Rye Whiskey Barrels first release in 2025 to this cause. The donation was raised from Garrison Brothers’ first release of Sonora Bourbon in 2025.

“The Caverns of Sonora are extremely proud and privileged to be a part of such a wonderful collaboration. A huge thank-you to Garrison Brothers and their outstanding team for allowing us to be included in such inspiring endeavors. We continue with our commitment to working together with TCMA to help preserve and protect our natural wonders,” John Lockwood, Manager of Caverns of Sonora, said on behalf of the Mayfield-Ingham family.

Sonora bourbon was first released on Saturday, October 18, 2025, at the distillery. This seven-year-aged bourbon’s name was inspired by the mysterious and awe-inspiring Caverns of Sonora, a natural wonder hidden deep within Texas. Just as these caverns have been shaped by time and patience, Sonora is the culmination of years of craftsmanship, passion, and the relentless pursuit of excellence. As the ninth expression in the award-winning Garrison Brothers portfolio, Sonora represents a true collaborative effort. With the Garrisons’ blessing, Master Distiller Donnis Todd guided Distiller Samantha Olvera, who led this project. Sonora is aged for four years in new white American Oak barrels and then, three years in rye whiskey barrels. It is sealed with a ruby red wax and is bottled at 108 proof. The limited release produced 6,000 bottles and retailed for $159.99.

“It has been an honor to tour the awe-inspiring Caverns of Sonora with the Mayfield-Ingham family and learn more about the preservation work needed, underground here in Texas. We are happy to extend this donation to support these efforts from our Sonora bourbon sales. With this contribution and others we make year-round to help preserve and restore Texas’ beautiful lands, we reinforce our belief that good bourbon can change the world,” shared Nancy Garrison, Co-founder, Garrison Brothers Distillery.

With its first release, Sonora earned top awards. Sonora earned Double Gold at the 2025 Craft Distillers Spirits Competition, and a Double Gold (97 points) at the 2025 Proof Awards. Charitable funds raised by the distillery through bourbon sales have been gifted to Good Bourbon for a Good Cause, which then earmarked the donations for restoration efforts at the caverns, to be monitored by TCMA.

“TCMA is proud to partner with Garrison Brothers to support the excellent conservation work of the owners and operators of the amazing Caverns of Sonora,” said TCMA President Jim “Crash” Kennedy. “This just proves how effective businesses and nonprofits can be when they work together to protect Texas karst.”

About Texas Cave Management Association
As the state’s oldest and most respected cave conservancy, TCMA is a nonprofit organization that works with members and partners to acquire and manage caves and karst. We conserve caves, promote research and education, and provide responsible recreational access to our caves.

Founded in 1986, TCMA protects more than a dozen geographically diverse preserves, enabling controlled access for scientific and, when appropriate, recreational use. TCMA encourages research and provides education on protection of sensitive karst areas. Working with local, state and federal governmental agencies, TCMA specializes in helping to protect threatened and endangered species living within caves.

Setting the standard in cave resource stewardship, TCMA has 200+ members who actively support the organization through volunteerism and giving. To learn more about TCMA, its mission, and preserves, go to www.tcmacaves.org.

About Garrison Brothers
Garrison Brothers Distillery, located in Hye, Texas, in the beautiful Hill Country, is the first and oldest legal whiskey distillery in Texas, and the first distillery outside of Kentucky to produce authentic, handcrafted, corn-to-cork bourbon whiskey—and only bourbon whiskey. Founded in 2006 by Dan and Nancy Garrison, Garrison Brothers bourbon first entered the market in 2010.

Today, Garrison Brothers is renowned for its legendary craftsmanship. With ten expressions available nationwide and in five countries, and more than 700 awards to its name, the distillery continues to define authentic premium bourbon for the modern era.

Garrison Brothers is a proud and active member of the communities of Blanco, Fredericksburg, Hye, Johnson City, and Stonewall. Anyone interested in learning more about Garrison Brothers or taking a tour of the distillery can visit garrisonbros.com or follow @garrisonbros on Facebook, X, and Instagram.

TCMA 40th anniversary, members’ meeting – and a new cave!

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By Jay Jorden
We’re 40 years old! Texas Cave Management Association’s exciting journey started with meetings in 1986 among cave explorers in Austin, Texas who decided that the growing state needed an organization to systematically start saving caves and cave resources from development. So the cavers reached out to government leaders and became activists.

Today, TCMA has grown to own or manage 14 preserves, becoming the southwest region’s premier cave conservancy. Setting the standard in cave resource stewardship, TCMA has 200+ members who actively support the organization through volunteerism and giving.

Upcoming Members' Meeting

Saturday, October 24, 2026, 12:00pm

(during Texas Cavers’ Reunion)

Camp Sol Mayer dining hall
299 Camp Sol Mayer Rd, Menard, TX 76859

Add to Calendar
If any TCMA members want to add an issue or concern to the agenda, please email officers@tcmacaves.org.

On our 40th anniversary, the mission remains the same:

– Acquiring, conserving, and managing caves
– Promoting scientific research and education regarding caves and karst
– Providing cavers responsible access to caves and preserves that have been acquired

“It’s been a long climb for us, but with help from the caving community, we have been building on our successes,” said Jim “Crash” Kennedy, TCMA president. “And we’re going to have some exciting news soon regarding a new acquisition.”

Protecting new caves
At this writing, TCMA is very close to closing on an addition to one of its popular North Austin preserves. More to come …

In 1986, Mike Walsh announced the formation of TCMA, a Texas corporation. The stated purpose was: “The preservation for posterity of the caves and caverns of Texas and their mineral, biological, archaeological and aesthetic contents; and to promote the conservation and study of caves within the State of Texas; to promote and support any scientific and educational programs on caves in Texas.”

Initial officers and directors, according to Carl Kunath’s “50 Years of Texas Caving,” were: Cindy Aase, Bill Elliott, Rod Goke, Robert Green, Jay Jorden, Linda Palit, Ron Ralph, Joe Sumbera (chairman), Mike Walsh, and Mike Warton.

The following year, in 1987, TCMA became a conservancy of the National Speleological Society (NSS). TCMA’s volunteers work with landowners and developers to manage the non-renewable resources – protecting them for future generations, helping develop access policies, and educating the public. The emphasis has always been preservation of caves, first through management and then by outright ownership.

Dave McAdoo, one of the founders of the Galveston Speleological Society, was the first dues-paid TCMA member, helping to get the organization off the ground. Fundraising and membership continue to remain very important to TCMA’s mission. Aside from members’ dues, efforts have focused on grant applications, yearly auctions, T-shirt and merchandise sales, planned giving, and bequests.

In July 1990, TCMA acquired Whirlpool Cave and 4.25 acres of adjoining land, becoming the first Texas caving organization to own a cave. A succession of land purchases and donations followed, including acquisition of Deep Cave and Punkin Cave in September 2004. In the early 1990s, an agreement was reached with the University of Texas Lands to manage 0-9 Well in Crockett County and Amazing Maze Cave in Pecos County. Walter Feaster, a Permian Basin Speleological Society member, became TCMA project manager, organizing survey trips and scientific study in both caves. TCMA also signed a cooperative agreement with the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center to manage cave resources on the property in South Austin.

TCMA’s influence has extended to helping protect groundwater resources in the state. When Honey Creek Cave, the state’s longest at 21+ miles, was threatened by a developer’s plan to dump a half-million gallons of sewage effluent in the creek’s drainage basin, TCMA entered into agreements with ranch owners where the cave entrances are located and supported litigation with state regulators against the development plans. This prevented the threat and enabled continued surveying and scientific study in Honey Creek.

Protecting endangered species
Important to TCMA’s growth over the years has been building alliances with other land trusts, conservancies, governmental agencies, and private partners. In 1992, TCMA joined with the Alamo Group of the Sierra Club, the Balcones Canyonlands Conservation Coalition, Helotes Creek Association, and the Texas Speleological Association (TSA) in petitioning the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to add nine species of karst invertebrates, known only from caves in the northern and northwest parts of Bexar County, to the List of Threatened and Endangered Wildlife. In December 2000, USFWS designated the nine species as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. This accelerated the pace of cave acquisitions since listing a species as federally endangered mandates a recovery plan to prevent destruction of critical habitat. Listing several other species, including the Barton Springs salamander living in the Edwards Aquifer, have aided karst protection. Additional species in the Edwards are under USFWS protection. The Edwards feeds Texas’ largest springs, Comal and San Marcos, along with sustaining multiple rivers with springflows and providing drinking water for two million people.

Ezell’s Cave near San Marcos, which has been called a window to the Edwards Aquifer, is a TCMA preserve after having been acquired by The Nature Conservancy in 1967 and designated as a National Natural Landmark in October 1971.

On a sad note, Mike Walsh – the TCMA’s principal founder – died earlier this year following a heart attack at the age of 78. On May 5, 1985, Mike had met with Mike Warton and Robert Green on the concept of a cave management organization. Ten days later, a TSA Committee was created at the TSA Convention in Georgetown, Texas to investigate the possibility of working with the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) on cave protection. Mike Walsh was confirmed as chairman of the TSA Liaison Committee on Sept. 18, 1985.

The following year, Mike moved his liaison duties from TSA to TCMA, and the new organization worked with Mike Herring of TPWD to identify some of the best caves in Texas for future acquisition. TCMA was chartered and incorporated with the Secretary of State on April 7, 1986. Initial directors were Mike Walsh and Mike Warton along with Robert Green. That year, the TCMA and City of Austin hosted a Regional Conference on Caves and Land Development, with Mike and Lea Stone of the City of Austin as project directors. Several TCMA members drafted a State of Texas Cave Protection Bill. Cave protection was later added to the Texas Sportsman’s Law.

The TCMA in 1992 assisted James Loftin in the gating of Wurzbach Bat Cave in San
Antonio, which had been acquired by a family of Bexar Grotto cavers to protect the bats.
Also that year, the Edwards Underground Water District also opened discussion with the TCMA on management of three San Antonio caves. TCMA testified before the Austin City Council
concerning the value of caves, and the city requested an agreement to manage and monitor
city-owned caves. The TCMA Board of Directors voted to attempt to secure Lost Oasis Cave in
Travis County. Lost Oasis was donated to TCMA in 1993, along with 3.5 acres. TCMA acquired Wurzbach Bat Cave in 2024 from the Texas Department of Transportation.

In July 2024, the NSS presented its prestigious Group Conservation Award to TCMA at the national caving organization’s convention in Sewanee, Tennessee. Hopefully, more accomplishments are on the horizon for 2027!

Invitation to Robber Baron Cave Open House: Nov. 14, 2026

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Texas Cave Management Association is pleased to invite you to an open house at San Antonio’s Robber Baron Cave Preserve. You will have a rare opportunity to take a self guided tour of this unique and fascinating cave.

Join us at the corner of Nacogdoches Road and Camilla Drive for this special event from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, November 14 (rain or shine). Admission is available on a first-come basis. Donations are requested to help maintain the preserve.

Robber Baron Cave is the longest and one of the most significant caves in Bexar County, with one mile of mapped passage. It has many interesting features: a complex maze of passages, unique underground biology including two endangered species, and an unusual geologic history. A popular commercial cave during the 1920s and 30s, Robber Baron today is protected by TCMA as a preserve and a place where people can learn about and experience the underground environment.
During the open house, you will be invited to take a self-guided tour through the cave, learn about Robber Baron and the TCMA, and meet the cavers who explore and maintain it. Because Robber Baron is an undeveloped cave, sturdy shoes and appropriate apparel is recommended. Caving helmets and lights will be provided.

There will be information booths for related organizations, items for sale, a food truck, and educational information about caves. Entry to the cave for a self-guided tour is on a first-come basis, though advance signups for specific times can be made that day by showing up early. Donations are greatly appreciated to help protect and maintain the preserve.
Founded in 1986, the TCMA is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that owns or manages a number cave preserves across the state of Texas. Through diversified funding, we actively work with our members and partners to acquire, conserve and manage caves and karst, promote research and education, and provide responsible, recreational access to our caves.
More information about Robber Baron Cave can be found at tcmacaves.org/robberbaron

DFW Grotto’s adventure at Deep and Punkin Preserve

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Deep and Punkin Caves Nature Preserve was the venue for an exciting weekend of adventure for 15 Dallas-Fort Worth Grotto members.
The cavers rappelled the massive entrance pit of Punkin Cave before visiting Deep Cave and its horizontal maze passages. Both caves are owned by TCMA in Southwest Texas.
The DFW cavers were also joined by the Taylor family from the Bexar Grotto: Matthew, Tobin, and Leo. Most of the DFW Grotto members arrived at the preserve’s cabin late on Friday night, August 14. The Taylors from the Bexar Grotto had already arrived and got the water and electricity running.
By 8 a.m. on Saturday, DFW Grotto members started to get up and eat breakfast and then mobilized to go caving an hour later. Four of the grotto members began working on the rain-water collector pipe, while other members packed up their cave gear and the gardening gear.
The first group of cavers left the cabin by 10 a.m. to hike down to Punkin, clearing up the trail and repairing cairns. The second group of cavers hiked down around 10:30 a.m. after the rain-water collector pipe had been completed. A total of 15 cavers hiked down to Punkin while three people stayed back at the cabin.
The trail to Punkin was straightforward to follow. The signs and cairns were especially helpful, and we cleared out the brush around some signs and rebuilt some fallen cairns. Around 11 a.m., the first group of cavers had arrived at Punkin and began rigging three different rig points that all had existing bolts. Two of the rig points were in the main entrance, and one rig point was on the smaller, side entrance.
The groups reconvened at Punkin and began going down the pit around noon. A total of 12 cavers went into Punkin to explore the cave. Photos were taken with the DFW Grotto banner and cavers poked in some holes before heading out. By 2 p.m., all of the cavers in Punkin were out of the cave and the pits were derigged.
The group of 15 cavers then hiked to Deep Cave, following the signs and cairns. We arrived at the entrance of Deep around 2:30 p.m. and spent some time squeezing through the tight hole at the entrance. By 3 p.m., we began entering the cave. We followed the main orange route into the cave until we got to the Helictite Room, named a speleothem that changes its axis from vertical at one or more stages during its growth.
Cavers enjoyed exploring the many passages and climbs in this beautiful cave before organizing a group photo with the DFW Grotto banner in the Helictite Room. They emerged from Deep by 5:30 p.m. and began hiking back to the cabin, arriving at the cabin around 6 p.m. Cavers took turns showering and preparing a potluck dinner to eat an hour later. Then it was time for entertainment, including some card games, until 10 or 11 p.m. The next morning after breakfast was reserved for cleaning up the cabin and securing it for departure. Multiple procedures are required to shut off water supplies and other services.
Everyone was out of the cabin around 11 a.m. on Sunday – but already thinking about when to return for the next exploration.

Your investment in the future of Texas caves

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By Joe Ranzau

Dear cavers and friends of underground places:

As we look back on the year, we’re so proud of what we’ve accomplished together. Your support has directly protected Texas caves, restored natural spaces, and inspired new generations of cavers.

A few highlights of the progress made possible by your generosity this year include reopening Robber Baron Cave Preserve, hosting naturalist groups at our Williamson County preserves, and continuing our financial support of the Texas Speleology Center. Your dollars also helped our ongoing legal negotiations for perpetual access to a major West Texas cave and hosting workshops at our preserves, including graffiti removal training at Wurzbach Bat Cave. Thanks to your support, we’ve also continued to host young explorers at our preserves, introducing them to the wonders beneath the surface, fostering a lifelong love of conservation.

We’re facing a $6,000 budget shortfall as we close out the year. We rely almost entirely on donors like you. Our membership dues make up only a small part of the puzzle. We rarely receive federal or state funding, making every gift count. Your contribution today will directly close that gap and enable us to continue protecting these incredible places and planning for the future. Please consider making a donation now.

If you have any questions or are considering a legacy bequest to TCMA, please email us at donations@tcmacaves.org.

We’re so grateful for everything we’ve accomplished together this year. With your continued generosity, we can achieve even more. Please give what you can—your support truly makes a difference.

Thank you for being part of the TCMA family.

Caving success story: Robber Baron reopened

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By Joe Mitchell

After being effectively closed since March 2020, Texas Cave Management Association’s Robber Baron Cave is now reopened for regular visitation. The cave has long served as a recreational and educational resource for TCMA. Numerous new cavers have visited it over the years along with many others, including youth groups, scouts, outdoor recreation clubs, geology groups, and neighborhood groups. Robber Baron has also hosted periodic open house events where the general public could explore parts of the cave.
The cave’s closure resulted from the COVID lockdown and a subsequent environmental incident in 2021 at the cave entrance. In the process of resolving this, a new approach to managing the cave was developed to increase protection for its biology including its two known listed endangered species; improving safety; and retaining as much of the former access as possible. This process is now essentially complete, finally allowing resumption of access.
For biological protection, a key component was the creation of a Habitat Conservation Plan. This establishes a number of procedures to reduce impacts in the cave, such as changes in the number and size of trips and what can be taken in the cave. Significantly, the cave is divided into three major zones with varying levels of access including standard recreation access, research-restricted access (this includes digging and exploration), and limited special access only. Another component is an ongoing biological assessment of the cave to establish what exists and how it changes over time with seasons and changing access levels. These surveys are performed quarterly and cover as much of the cave as possible. A cricket count was performed over this past summer to assess wildlife that enters and exits the cave. In a related project, game cameras are monitoring the movement of any larger animals within the cave and at the entrances.
A second project was to improve safety around the sinkhole due to constant erosion, which was only worsened by the 2021 incident. Trees around the edge of the sinkhole perimeter were removed so that they would not take off portions of the wall when the fell. This has had an unexpected benefit of producing a sudden growth of flora – especially ferns – at the bottom of the sinkhole. Additionally, a new gate was constructed in the trench that leads into the sinkhole to keep unauthorized persons out and away from rockfall hazards. The surface of the property has also seen improvements in removal of overgrowth that obstructed visibility from the street leading to individuals camping or attempting to live on the property posing a safety hazard to visitors.
A new management plan was prepared, and most of the traditional visitation routes through the cave remain accessible. Markers were placed in the cave to indicate off-limits or restricted areas.
On November 29, a re-opening day was held at the cave for Texas cavers. This was a chance for newer cavers to visit it for the first time or longtime cavers to reacquaint themselves with it. It was attended by 23 people from the Bexar and UT Grottos, and lunch was provided on the surface. A major part of the day was trip leader training. Other attendees simply explored the cave’s maze of passages or visited on the surface. A couple of large boulders that had made their way down into the entrances in recent years were also broken up and removed.
With all this work behind us, trips may now be scheduled to the cave. One requirement is that new training is required for all trip leaders and each trip into the cave must have at least one approved trip leader. Although trips must be approved, visitation frequency by caver groups is not generally restricted. However, visitation by non-caver groups is restricted to no more than one such group per month. If you are interested in scheduling a trip or becoming a trip leader, please contact the preserve managers, Mike Harris and Joe Mitchell. Besides reaching out to them personally, they can also be reached at robberbaron@tcmacaves.org.

Roadrunners rule! Texas’ newest grotto helps TCMA

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By Amy Schoenenberger

The Texas Cave Management Association (TCMA) has had an enormous impact on the state’s subterranean resources and the caving community. Without TCMA’s management, conservation efforts, and support for new clubs, the ability to cave would be completely different – especially for a new organization like the Roadrunner Grotto or Roadrunner Speleological Society at the University of Texas at San Antonio.
TCMA is the reason students can be introduced to caving and more young people can
be inspired to get involved.
Most of the Roadrunner Grotto’s trips are to TCMA preserves, where new cavers are shown the incredible beauty of Texas caves and are taught how to cave safely. RSS members
help prepare Robber Baron Cave for its reopening, and the grotto plans to run beginner trips
there for new members wanting to learn about caving.
RSS is also getting involved in future TCMA projects such as graffiti cleaning at Wurzbach Bat Cave. These volunteer efforts help members learn firsthand what it takes to protect and preserve caves.
The Deep and Punkin Cave Preserve has also become one of the main trip destinations, offering members the opportunity to explore two amazing caves in one preserve. Since RSS is still a new club at UTSA, the grotto has only been to Deep and Punkin a few times so far, but the intention is for this to become a regular annual trip as the organization continues to grow and develop.
The Roadrunner Grotto is extremely grateful to TCMA for everything they do to keep Texas caves protected and well cared for. The grotto aims to continue that mission by helping where possible at every preserve, supporting conservation, and ensuring that all trips promote safe and responsible caving. The goal is to enjoy caving while making sure the caves and the surrounding environments stay preserved for years to come.

Aggies in action: Student grotto gives back

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By Jenna Crabtree

Through decades of volunteer efforts, the student caving club at Texas A&M University has built a strong partnership with the Texas Cave Management Association (TCMA) to safeguard and manage the state’s caves.
The Aggie Speleological Society’s members are frequent visitors and supporters at TCMA preserves, assisting in cave conservation.
Since 1973, the Aggie grotto has thrived in College Station, a growing college town and the home of Texas A&M University, positioned inside a triangle bounded by Austin, Dallas, and Houston. Over the decades, the grotto’s involvement in caving has risen and fallen, yet one constant has remained: the grotto’s deep reliance on TCMA, which was founded in 1986.
Today, the Aggie grotto depends on TCMA for access to the majority of caves included in each year’s schedule. Whirlpool Cave offers new members a safe and welcoming introduction to caving, while Punkin Cave provides their first vertical experience—an essential milestone for developing competent and confident cavers.
TCMA’s willingness to provide access for collegiate cavers to these sites not only strengthens member
retention but also expands awareness of best practices in cave conservation. Just as importantly, it gives young leaders hands-on opportunities for training, exploration, and discovery that are truly unmatched and creates a stronger and more competent future caving community in Texas.
In the past four years, the Aggies and TCMA have had many chances for collaboration and mutual support. The Aggie Grotto has taken roughly 45 trips to TCMA-managed preserves, participated in 12 workshops and educational events at TCMA-managed preserves, and participated in 24 volunteer opportunities with TCMA or at TCMA-managed preserves.
Quite simply, without TCMA’s stewardship, mentorship, and commitment to providing safe,
well-managed caves, the Aggie Grotto could not continue to exist in its current form. The organization’s longstanding support has shaped generations of Aggie cavers through environmental stewardship, and its impact will be felt for generations to come.

New TxDOT video features TCMA’s Wurzbach Bat Cave preserve

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The Texas Department of Transportation has released a new video on Wurzbach Bat Cave, highlighting how the state partnered with TCMA, a consulting firm, and others to save endangered species.

Preserving and restoring cave habitat can save taxpayer dollars, decrease flooding, and replenish drinking water. That’s how TxDOT approached the balancing act that it has between reducing highway congestion while minimizing impact to natural resources. 

In San Antonio’s rapidly expanding west side, where State Loop 1604 meets Texas Highway 151, invertebrates on the Federal Endangered Species List were found inside caves and karst features as highway workers tried to build bridges and intersections. What happened next?

The result was a success story documented in a YouTube “Beyond the Road” video produced by TxDOT entitled, “Innovative Mitigation Preserves Cave Habitat.” Rachael Lindsey and Jim Kennedy, TCMA president and vice-president, accompanied TMCA Director Ethan Perrine and others to San Antonio for the filming, which also included interviews of biologists from Zara Environmental LLC. 

To complete the highway construction, TxDOT had to provide mitigation under federal and state law. That mitigation led to the purchase of Wurzbach Bat Cave, which was deeded to Texas Cave Management Association. 

The same endangered invertebrates at the highway construction site were also present in Wurzbach. So TxDOT bought the cave to offset for impacts to the endangered karst species at its construction site. 

It was the first time TxDOT had purchased property in a residential area for highway mitigation. 

The mitigation project also included habitat restoration, biological surveys, community outreach, and the development of a long-term management plan.

Rachael said TCMA exists to “acquire, protect, and manage caves in Texas, and we promote research and education and facilitate access to the caves that we work with.” 

Jim said the cave is hydrologically important because it drains a large area of the neighborhood, providing a natural conduit to replenishing the aquifer. Monitoring and restoring the cave may encourage bats to return there. 

“At one time, it had 20,000 to 40,000 bats roosting here in the summer months,” Jim said. 

Key to the mitigation’s success occurred when genetic sequencing at Zara confirmed that the eyeless Cicurina spider collected from the highway site was the federally listed Cicurina vespera — one of the rarely encountered species TxDOT was working to conserve.

When the path of roadway construction intersected with cave-dwelling endangered species, highway mitigation took a new turn. Other potential opportunities for cave management may exist in the area.