The British Caving Association

• Diary dates - see http://bcra.org.uk/forum for details
• New Chairman for BCRA
• CREG field meeting, change of date
• Hidden Earth: call for Lectures/Workshops; new online form
• Hidden Earth: Photo and Video Salon updates
• BCRA/Hidden Earth Cave Science Bursaries
• BCA's new online newsletter
• BCRA on Social Media

Diary dates - see http://bcra.org.uk/forum for details
12-14 June. BCA AGM and party weekend. (Date now confirmed)
20-26 June. International Conference on Groundwater in Karst.
22-23 Aug. Cave Radio & Electronics Group field meeting, Ingleton
25-27 Sept. Hidden Earth. Churchill Academy, Churchill, near Bristol.
31 Oct/1 Nov. Science Symposium & BCRA AGM weekend at Manchester Museum.

New Chairman for BCRA
After five years in the post, Dave Checkley has decided to step down as Chairman of BCRA. The trustees have elected our current President, Prof. John Gunn, as Dave's replacement. John Gunn currently chairs our Cave Science and Technology Research Fund panel and is a joint editor of Cave and Karst Science.

Those of you who know Dave Checkley will not need reminding that he has worked hard to promote BCRA, over the years, and we are pleased that he will continue as a trustee of the Association. Dave currently sits on our Library Steering Group sub-committee and our Heritage Lottery Fund sub-committee. The latter is investigating the possibility for obtaining grant money to digitise BCRA's archives currently held in controlled storage conditions at the British Geological Survey. This archive includes a large amount of material that formerly belonged to Eli Simpson and the BSA.

The trustees have also appointed Dr Paul Hardwick as our new Conservation Officer, and our representative to BCA's Conservation and Access Committee. Paul replaces Dave Judson in these roles.

CREG field meeting, change of date

The Cave Radio & Electronics Group field meeting in Ingleton, planned for 25-26 April has been postponed until 22/23 August. For information, please sign up to the CREG-announce list at http://list.bcra.org.uk, keep an eye on the CREG forum at http://bcra.org.uk/cregf or follow the Event's Facebook page - either search for "Cave Radio " or try this link... https://www.facebook.com/events/1614464812122387/

Hidden Earth: call for Lectures/Workshops; new online form
This year's lecture secretaries are Paula Grgich-Warke and Emma Porter. Contact details are at http://hidden-earth.org.uk/info/contact.html This year, there is an online form for you to use to register your interest in giving a lecture or workshop at the event. Go to http://hidden-earth.org.uk/forms/lectures

Hidden Earth: Photo and Video Salon updates
We are expecting some slight changes to the Photo and Video Salons this year. These will be confirmed later in the year on the Hidden Earth web-site, but are expected to be...

• Photo salon: digital entries must be uploaded in advance. You will not be able to deposit them on the day.
• Video Salon: the long (20 minute) competition will not take place. Shorter entries (10 mins) must be entered in advance and the media posted to the co-ordinator two weeks before the event. You will not be able to deposit your entries on the day.
• As last year, Photo Salon entries must be made in advance this year. There will be no entry on the day.

BCRA/Hidden Earth Cave Science Bursaries
There has been little take-up, so far, of the BCRA / Hidden Earth Cave Science Bursaries that are now available. This is a project that uses some of the surplus from Hidden Earth to fund undergraduate dissertation projects. In addition to this funding BCRA Council has agreed to top-up its Research Fund with a further £25,000 for the five years from 2015. Details of BCRA's Research Fund and the BCRA / Hidden Earth Cave Science Bursaries can be found at http://bcra.org.uk/research-fund

BCA's new online newsletter
BCA now has an online newsletter at http://british-caving.org.uk. Just follow the link on the home page.

BCRA on Social Media
BCA's online newsletter is just one example of an inexorable move towards a different method of communication. This isnt just the inevitable march of technology, it is to do with costs, and the availability of volunteers. If you have not already discovered BCRA on social media, we are on Twitter and Facebook...

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1485495795064870/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/bcra_speleology

Cave and Karst Science 42(1) now online
C&KS 42(1) is now online at http://bcra.org.uk/cks. As usual, this is a free download for everyone, not just for BCRA members. The online version is, as always, in full colour. The print version is in the process of being mailed and should be with our members and subscribers by the end of the week, I expect. This issue has additional pages, as a brief appreciation of Dr Trevor D Ford OBE, for his 90th Birthday.

Exploring the Limestone Landscapes of the Cumbrian Ring
This book - the latest in our Cave Studies series - will be available in June. Those who attended the Cumbrian Ring field meeting last Saturday were each given a pre-publication draft copy. The published First Edition will be very similar to this, with some slight updates, as a result of a final proof-reading exercise. When the book is published, the web page http://bcra.org.uk/cs20 will contain a list of corrections to the draft edition.

BCA's new online newsletter
BCA [sic] now has an online newsletter at http://british-caving.org.uk. The URL for the April edition is http://british-caving.org.uk/wiki3/doku ... ents:apr15