Mike Walsh, of Cedar Park, started caving in 1967 at Southwest Texas State University. While there, he held a
number of offices within the Southwest Texas University Grotto (caving club) and the Texas Speleological Association.
In 1972, he edited Mexican Caving, a 146-page publication on the caves in San Luis Potosi, Mexico. In 1979,
he was the co-chairman of the National Speleological Society convention in New Braunfels, Texas. Approximately 950
cavers attended. It was at this convention that he was awarded a National Speleological Society Fellowship.
In the mid 1980's central Texas cavers recognized the need for a statewide cave management organization. In 1986,
Robert Green, Mike Walsh, and Mike Warton assisted in the creation of the Texas Cave Management Association. They
were the initial directors. That same year, working with Lee Stone and the City of Austin, Walsh assisted in the
organization of the Regional Conference on Caves and Land Development.
In 1987, he assisted in the creation of a cave task force for the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. In 1989,
he edited, A Proposed CaveManagement Plan for the Texas Parks & Wildlife. Later that year,
he organized the National Cave Management Symposium in New Braunfels, Texas.
Working with Mike Grimm of Austin, in 1990, Walsh acquired the donation of Whirlpool Cave and the
surrounding land for the Texas Cave Management Association. Under his direction, the land was developed as a cave
preserve. This was the first cave preserve in Texas to be established entirely through the efforts of cavers. In 1991,
he edited and published Devil's Sinkhole State Natural Area & Kickapoo Caverns State Park. In1993,
he worked with Jay Jorden and Carl Ponebshek to acquire Lost OasisCave for the second
cave preserve.
Following the 1994 National Speleological Society Convention in Brackettville, Texas, several cavers sought to create
a second cave management organization for Texas. Bob Finger, Sandi Moerbe, Stan Moerbe, Gary Napper, Jack Ralph,
Mike Walsh and others, then organized the Texas Cave Conservancy on October 13, 1994.
Officers and Directors - 1994-2015
We would like to thank those people that served as Directors for the Texas Cave Conservancy.
Gordon Birkhimer - Shirley Birkhimer - Bob Finger - Sandi Moerbe - Donna Mosesmann - Steve Gutting -
Jack Ralph - Kurt Waldron - Mike Walsh - John Worsfold
2006 TCC Board
Gordon Birkhimer
Donna Mosesmann
Mike Walsh
Cat Kennedy
Gary Napper
Director
Director
President & Director
Treasurer
Secretary
The Texas Cave Conservancy was awarded the 2006 National Speleological Society
Group Cave Conservation - Cave Management Award at the NSS Banquet, August11, 2006, in Bellingham, Washington.
TCC Website Developers - 2010-2015
The Texas Cave Conservancy has one of the best cave related web sites in the nation.
This is largely due to the time and efforts of the following individuals:
George Nincehelser
Martha Meacham
Christopher E. Francke
TCC Secretary-Treasurer Position
Over the years the Texas Cave Conservancy has had several excellent people working with us in this position.
The following is a list of our past officers:
Shirley Birkhimer - Bob Finger - Cat Kennedy - Stan Moerbe - Donna Mosesmann - Gary Napper
We want to thank them all for the great work that they did for the Texas Cave Conservancy.
