Celebrate National Cave and Karst Week at Great Basin

Tuesday, June 2, 6 pm pacific time -
National Cave and Karst Week at Great Basin 

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Dive underground with us during National Cave and Karst Week to explore how Great Basin National Park's subterranean wonders have shaped—and been shaped by—science, stewardship, and community engagement over four decades. Gretchen Baker, Great Basin National Park’s ecologist and cave specialist, will explore the remarkable diversity of caves found within Great Basin National Park and will highlight what ongoing research and monitoring are revealing about these subterranean systems. Louise Hose will discuss what makes Great Basin’s caves distinct from others and how geologists have come to understand the geologic timeline of their formation. Louise is widely regarded as a leading scholar on Lehman Caves geologic research. Jeanne Howerton was Lehman Caves first ever girl guide, at a time when park rangers weren’t allowed to be female. She courageously followed her passion to explore and share the underground world she was completely captivated by and will have some great stories to tell.

Our panelists:

Louise Hose

Geological Society of America Karst Division Meritorious Contribution and National Speleological Society Awardee Louise Hose has explored and studied caves for over 50 years. Her work has been featured twice by National Geographic magazine as well as NOVA, Discovery, and NHKTV. A college professor for many years, she finished her career as a Senior Scientist for the National Park Service and helped develop and operate the National Cave and Karst Research Institute on its behalf. Now retired, she continues contract and volunteer work in cave sciences.

Jeanne Sharp Howerton

Jeanne Sharp Howerton is a 4th generation Nevadan who grew up with her four sisters on the Blue Eagle Ranch in Railroad Valley as Downwinders during the era of atomic testing. Her family came in with the mining but stayed on as ranchers. Jeanne grew up immersed in nature studying birds, animals, plants, astronomy, and caves—deciding at age 11 to become a cave guide. Her dream was fulfilled in 1968 when she was hired as the “first girl guide” in Lehman Caves. A love of Nevada has resulted in her publishing nine books on the history of mining and ranching in Nye and Lincoln counties, and she is currently working to chronicle the impact of atomic testing on the local residents.

Gretchen Baker

Gretchen Baker is the ecologist and cave specialist at Great Basin National Park. She manages the 40 known caves in the Park as well as the tens of thousands of acres of karst habitat. She has been at the Park for 25 years and is especially proud of assisting with projects that have found new cave species, developed better understanding of cave geology and paleontology, and created more opportunities for cave outreach, interpretation, and education. She has also worked at six other NPS areas, including Carlsbad Caverns and Jewel Cave. She helps explore, research, and teach cave rescue in caves throughout the U.S. and occasionally overseas. She lives with her family and assorted animals in Baker, NV.