BCRA NEWSLETTER DECEMBER 2025

[Dave Shearsmith]

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BCRA Newsletter – December 2025​

New logo!​

A new logo was formally adopted at the BCRA Council meeting on 12 November. The logo was designed by Jo White, who will be taking over as BCRA Acting Secretary

Our Social Media News Outlets​

Stay updated with the latest BCRA news and activities through our various online platforms:

• Facebook: http://facebook.com/groups/britishcaver
• BCRA News Forum: http://bcra.org.uk/forum
• The Darkness Below: https://darknessbelow.co.uk
• UK Caving: http://ukcaving.com/board/?board=86.0

Hidden Earth 2026 Update​

The dates for Hidden Earth 2026 have now been confirmed: the event will take place from 26th to 28th September 2026 at the same venue as last year in Llangollen. For the most current updates, please refer to the Hidden Earth media outlets and website (https://hidden.earth/#). If you are interested in contributing a lecture, presentation, or workshop, submissions can now be made directly through the Hidden Earth website.

The British Caving Library​

The British Caving Library continues to be an invaluable resource for the caving community. It is well worth a visit for anyone interested in expanding their knowledge. For further information about visiting, please consult their website at https://caving-library.org.uk/.

2026 BCRA Science Symposium​

Preparations are underway for the 2026 BCRA Science Symposium which will be hosted by Dr Beth Fox at the University of Salford. The meeting will, as usual, be in October but the precise date is still being negotiated. Please stay tuned for further announcements.

BCRA Council Meeting Update​

At our November council meeting, we welcomed Rachel Thompson who has kindly agreed to join the council as our new Publicity and Student Liaison Officer. Rachel's involvement is a valuable addition, and we are grateful for her willingness to support our work. We also extend our thanks to Russel Myers, who will be taking on the important role of Safeguarding Officer. In addition, we are pleased that Jo White, an existing council member, has agreed to serve as Acting Secretary.

BCRA online Seminars on Monday 8​

Redhouse Lane Swallet Exploration and Surveying​

Recent exploration, conservation, and surveying efforts in Redhouse Lane Swallet have yielded fascinating initial findings concerning speleogenetic and geological features. Notably, new knowledge has been gained about both relict and present-day drainage routes that are contiguous with parts of the Wet-Sink-Slaughter Stream Cave. Significant quantities of cryogenic sediments, such as powdery calcite, fluffy mud, and mud mound features, have been identified, along with bouldering and perched sediments along passage sides.

A prominent monocline structure running north-south through the newly discovered section of Redhouse has been intersected. This geological feature has influenced both the orientation and character of the cave passages, causing the system to rise stratigraphically from the Lower Dolomite Formation into the Crease and Whitehead Limestones. Within the Crease Limestone, striking iron mineralisation and occasional sandstone dykes have been observed, likely linked to Intra-Carboniferous palaeokarst development. Many of the large passages uncovered—the largest in the Forest of Dean—follow massive wrench-faults containing substantial breccias and horizontal slickensides.

BCRA Membership​

To renew your BCRA membership, or to join for the first time, you need to visit the BCA Just Go website : https://britishcaving.justgo.com/

Free Student Membership​

Any student who currently holds BCA membership is eligible for free student membership of the BCRA. This can be arranged easily by your membership secretary or chair through Just Go.

Supporting BCRA​

We have observed a decrease in the number of field meetings since the end of Covid restrictions and although there are several being proposed for 2026 we encourage any members interested in organising a meeting to contact the secretary to help reinvigorate this important aspect of our community life.

IT Support Needed​

The BCRA website has expanded significantly over the years, thanks to the considerable time and commitment of David Gibson. While it now serves as a valuable repository of information, we recognise that accessing this wealth of content is not always straightforward. We welcome support from anyone with the time and expertise to help improve or potentially re-write the website. If you are able to contribute to this or other areas of IT support, please get in touch with the secretary.

International News​

After many years when caves and karst have received relatively little attention at an International level there have been two exciting initiatives. On 12th November, the 43rd Session of the UNESCO General Conference, meeting in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, officially proclaimed an International Day of Caves and Karst (IDCK), to be celebrated every year on 13 September. The proposal, which was submitted by the Slovenian Government, was developed, and involved a large amount of work by, the International Speleological Union under the leadership of former President Nadja Zupan Hajna. BCRA and BCA sent a joint letter of support for the proposal and we will need to think of appropriate ways to celebrate the first IDCK on 13th September 2026. Caves and Karst will also feature on the Agenda for a meeting of the United Nations Environment Assembly in December as The Republic of Indonesia has proposed a resolution on “Karst Ecosystem for Global Water, Biodiversity, Climate Resilience, and Economic Development”. If accepted this has the potential to increase the profile of cave and karst conservation at government level worldwide. The German Speleological Federation (VdHK) is currently the only caving group accredited with the United Nations Environment Programme so they are taking a lead in supporting the resolution and will be sending delegates to Nairobi. The Councils of BCA and BCRA have both voted to contribute £250 towards VdHK expenses. For further information see https://www.karst-aware.org/.

Season’s Greetings!​

The BCRA Council and Trustees send Seasons Greetings to all our members and hope that you will continue to support us in 2026.The next issue of the newsletter will be published at the end of December 2025.