Bio Team

[skip]

The NACD is looking for a few full cave divers to help with counting critters in caves and maybe doing some water quality sampling and testing too if interested. We are trying to set up a few teams that will sample and count the same system or systems every three to four months. Volunteers can pm me and we can set up a training day. Which caves? Your choice! Can be anywhere, but I can only travel to Southeast States and gulf states to do the training (unless you pay travel expenses!).

If you are interested in science diving (collecting data), pm me and we will set it up!

-skip

[skip]

Several have volunteered and when I went to send pm's to everyone, the system says I have to wait a full minute between sending each pm. dang that's too slow for me! so instead I have posted the information on Critter Counting at these two places:

http://frank.mtsu.edu/~psyskip/Bio1.doc

and here:

http://frank.mtsu.edu/~psyskip/Bio2.doc

One is the instructions and form to use, and the other is a draft from Kelly Jessop, who has been doing this for several years now. It will give you an idea of the kind of procedures used and data obtained (in graph).

I am trying to set up a day to meet in florida cave country for March 7-12 and so far the weekend of 7/8 looks best for most. I will pm volunteers with definite date/place/time when we figure it out for sure!

thanks to all,

-skip

[DeepSea]

Great work Skip. When sending PMs, you can send to up to 5 people at a time. Just separate the user names with ';'

[skip]

Great work Skip. When sending PMs, you can send to up to 5 people at a time. Just separate the user names with

';'

thanks! i'll do that.

-skip

[Kelly Jessop]

Several have volunteered and when I went to send pm's to everyone, the system says I have to wait a full minute between sending each pm. dang that's too slow for me! so instead I have posted the information on Critter Counting at these two places:

http://frank.mtsu.edu/~psyskip/Bio1.doc

and here:

http://frank.mtsu.edu/~psyskip/Bio2.doc

One is the instructions and form to use, and the other is a draft from Kelly Jessop, who has been doing this for several years now. It will give you an idea of the kind of procedures used and data obtained (in graph).

I am trying to set up a day to meet in florida cave country for March 7-12 and so far the weekend of 7/8 looks best for most. I will pm volunteers with definite date/place/time when we figure it out for sure!

thanks to all,

-skip

I'll extend an invitation to people if they'd like to learn our techniques because we often have room for an extra diver when we do a count. I have found that it takes about a couple counts for people to develop accuracy,species identification,and the task loading of data logging with other important things like gas management.

[skip]

Kelly, perhaps I can talk you into attending the session March 7 at 10am, Peacock 1? Your expertise and advise would be greatly helpful and appreciated. I can add to the enticement with a free lunch! Won't be more than a half-dozen or so divers if that many. we do plan a practice/training dive and after-dive data recording/graphing.

-skip

[Kelly Jessop]

Kelly, perhaps I can talk you into attending the session March 7 at 10am, Peacock 1? Your expertise and advise would be greatly helpful and appreciated. I can add to the enticement with a free lunch! Won't be more than a half-dozen or so divers if that many. we do plan a practice/training dive and after-dive data recording/graphing.

-skip

Sounds good,lets do the PM thing.

[skip]

Just wanted to remind everyone, especially those who pm'd me to volunteer, that we are conducting the Bio Team Training March 7, 9am, Peacock Springs State Park, Peacock I. See you there!

-skip

[bgillespie82]

Thanks again for giving the class

I had a great time

Ben

[JahJahwarrior]

Skip not only did a great job of teaching us how to do the critter counting, but he ran through the water quality testing process with us. Then, he spent the entire next day teaching me, the only guy who showed up, the NAUI First Aid and CPR course. He could have left since only one guy showed up, but he went ahead and did the course for me anyways, and at the best price ever! Thank you so much Skip for teaching me so much without charging anything! First class guy!!

[mwenner]

Skip not only did a great job of teaching us how to do the critter counting, but he ran through the water quality testing process with us. Then, he spent the entire next day teaching me, the only guy who showed up, the NAUI First Aid and CPR course. He could have left since only one guy showed up, but he went ahead and did the course for me anyways, and at the best price ever! Thank you so much Skip for teaching me so much without charging anything! First class guy!!

Kudo's Skip and Jah Jahwarrior! The word will get around!

[skip]

Thanks to all who showed up for the bio team trainging! We had over a dozen divers attending and learning. I was surprised at the turn-out and pleased to; I think it shows that many cave divers are interested in more than just sight-seeing, that they want the dive to have more meaning than that and that they want to do something for the larger community. Water quality assessments and counting cave animals are two ways to contribute to a database that can potentially track long-term changes.

More bio team training workshops will take place, so for those who missed it stay tuned. And for those not in Florida - I'm planning the same training for MO - hopefully before the MO mini-workshop in september, but if not perhaps a day before or after that one.

Again, thanks to all you newly Bio-Team trained divers! Anyone do any new counts lately? pm or email me some data!

-skip