The program will involve active participation in the gate construction interspersed with mini lectures. During the course, students will learn to properly site a cave gate, measure passage cross sections, develop construction drawings, estimate material quantities, select steel fabrication equipment, layout a gate project, learn safety techniques, work with volunteers, move steel, practice steel cutting and welding techniques, and coordinate with local interest groups. Course instructors will also discuss cave management, bat assessment techniques, and the ecology of cave systems. Registration will be at the Inn at Grand Glaize in Osage Beach, Missouri near Lake of the Ozarks State Park. You are responsible for making your own arrangements for accommodations.
Students are responsible for their own transportation to the work site.
Registered students will be provided with additional maps and directions to the seminar location. Sack lunches will be provided as part of the tuition. Morning and evening meals, and lodging costs, are not included in the tuition price. Students are expected to participate in gate construction, and must be physically fit enough to hike short distances, help move heavy material, walk and work on uneven slopes, and spend several hours per day underground. Vigorous physical activity will be required over short periods.