Cave Week

🗺️ Cave Week might be ending, but the exploration hasn’t stopped! 🥾🦇

To every cave explorer and surveyor who goes the extra mile—whether you’re squeezing through a tight passage, crawling through mud, or meticulously sketching out giant, echoing rooms: Thank you!

From tracing hidden underground waterways to discovering what novel microbes are eating in the deep, the science of caves is constantly expanding what we know. 🧪🔬

What new discovery or breakthrough in cave science are you most excited about right now? Drop your thoughts or your favorite action shot in the comments below! 👇

National Speleological Society Niemiller Nature National Cave and Karst Research Institute Karst Waters Institute

Photo: National Park Service Wind Cave National Park

As Cave Week comes to an end, we encourage you to keep going underground. Stay curious about what lies below your feet. Follow the trails that spark your curiosity, and never forget our inseparable connection to the world below!

NPS Photo: Photo of helictite growing off nailhead spar.

🔬 Caves invite us to look at the world in a new way. 🔬

When we think of scientific laboratories, we usually picture sterile white rooms, rows of test tubes, and high-tech equipment. But some of the most groundbreaking science on Earth happens in the dark, muddy, and rugged depths of the subterranean world.
Caves offer scientists a natural laboratory, with an undisturbed environment to study the past, understand the present, and even predict the future.

Here is how caves serve as the ultimate underground research centers:
⏳Time Capsules: Stalagmites and stalactites act like tree rings. By analyzing their mineral layers, geologists can learn thousands of years of Earth's climate history, helping us better understand the weather and groundwater.

🩺The Frontiers of Medicine: In the extreme isolation of deep caves, unique microbes have evolved to survive without sunlight. Microbiologists are studying these extreme organisms right now to develop the next generation of medicine.

👽Portals to Alien Worlds: NASA and space agencies use the harsh, alien environments of caves to test rovers, train astronauts, and study "extremophiles"—giving us clues on how to search for life on Mars and icy moons.

This , we celebrate the scientists, speleologists, and cave researchers who brave the dark to bring new discoveries to light.

Celebrate Cave Week with Your Community! 🦇🧗‍♂️

Ever wondered what secrets lie just beneath our feet? Caves are sensitive underground ecosystems, historical time capsules, and stunning natural wonders.

This week, we are celebrating the incredible world of caves and the amazing community that studies, explores and protects caves. If you’ve ever wanted to explore the subterranean world safely and responsibly, there’s no better place to start than with the National Speleological Society (NSS). To find your nearest caving club or grotto go to caves.org

Today during let's celebrate cave critters!

🎉 Today, we are shining a much-deserved spotlight on the underground world and its absolutely fascinating residents. While they might not get the same love as lions or pandas, cave critters are the unsung heroes of unique ecosystems.

And speaking of heroes... meet this year’s superstar: The Slimy Salamander! 🌟

Don't let the name fool you—this little amphibian is a master of adaptation and why they are 2026's USA Cave Animal of the Year. Go to the comments to find a link to tonight's webinar about the Slimy Salamander!
National Speleological Society
Niemiller Nature

Celebrate Cave History!

Caves are sheltered environments that are great for preserving evidence of past human activities such as paintings, tools and clothing. Mammoth Cave in Kentucky has a long record of being used by prehistoric societies and then by European colonists for mining and tourism. Remnants that have been found in this site include textiles, burial chambers and mining. Many cultures have used caves as a gathering place for worship, art and shelter.

In the photos you can see a footwear made out of fibers from a plant known as Rattlesnake master and a wooden climbing pole that would have been used to help early miners reach gypsum higher up the cave walls. Both were found in Mammoth Cave National Park.

Photo credit: NPS, Mammoth Cave National Park