One award in the following categories will be presented annually at the International Conference.
- Explorer of the Year (named in honor of Brett Hemphill)
- Volunteer of the Year
- Conservation Award
- Lifetime Achievement Award
Criteria for Award Recipients
- Must be a current member of NSS – CDS in good standing.
- May not be a current Board member.
Nomination Process
– Nominations may be made by any member in good standing or Board of Directors.
– Candidates may be nominated through a link provided on the website, social media posts, and
E-Blasts.
– The Board of Directors will vote for one winner in each category via email.
– Awards will be presented at the International Cave Diving Conference.
| Timeline Weeks from International Conference |
Activity | Responsible Party |
| -16 | Review existing criteria; consider new awards | Awards Subcommittee (SC) BoD |
| -12 | Finalize award categories and criteria | BoD |
| -11 | Create links Create communications |
IT SC Awards SC |
| -10 | Communication to Membership for nominations | Awards SC |
| -8 | Compile nominations | Awards SC |
| -6 | Send nominations to BoD for voting | Awards SC |
| -5 | Return votes Send compilation |
BOD Awards SC |
| -4 | Communicate with winners Order plaques |
Awards SC |
| 0 | International Conference | |
| +8 | SM Posts | Awards SC |
| +24 | UWS Articles | Awards SC |
| TBD | Recognition Room (website) | IT & Awards |
| October | Budget Request for following year | Budget Request for the following year |
Award Descriptions
Brett Hemphill Explorer of the Year Award
- Finds a previously unknown cave system or participate in an exploration of a known cave
system. May be in the role of leader or as part of an organization. - Gains lawful access to cave systems by establishing a relationship with and receiving
authorization from the landowner. - Participates in line laying, photo documentation, and system survey.
- Produces maps using data derived from accepted cave mapping techniques. The explorer’s name must be on the map. The map must be submitted with the nomination.
- Recipients are awarded a free 1-year membership to NSS – CDS, a plaque, feature in Underwater Speleology (UWS) and recognition on the website and Social Media.
Volunteer of the Year Award
- Participates in volunteer activities, including Cavengers at Workshops/Conferences, dive site
work days, and other activities as identified. - Contributes time, resources, and expertise to further the NSS–CDS mission.
- Creates a supportive environment through idea generation, problem-solving, and positive
interactions. - Promotes and recruits others to help with NSS CDS projects.
- Recipients are awarded a free 1-year membership to NSS – CDS, a plaque, a feature in UWS, and recognition on the website and Social Media.
Conservation Award
Exhibits strong performance and results in one or more of the following areas:
- Advocates for conservation-related projects at the state and/or local level for preserving
cave systems and related watersheds. - Contributes significant time and effort to cleaning springs, sinkholes, rivers, and surrounding
terrestrial areas. - Participates in scientific endeavors that increase understanding of the impact of human activity on the karst environment. Examples include testing and monitoring water quality, the impact of point and non-point source pollution, and dye trace studies.
- Increases public awareness of challenges that impact freshwater sources through education,
photography, and other endeavors. - Recipients are awarded a free 1-year membership to NSS – CDS, a plaque, a feature in UWS, and recognition on the website and Social Media.
Lifetime Achievement Award
- Exhibits a strong history of exploration, conservation, education, and safety.
- Has made significant achievements with community-wide impact in one or more of these cave
diving and related activities:- Exploration includes linking one system to another or extending a line in a known system.
- Innovations in the design and manufacturing of equipment, particularly those that enhanced diver safety and performance or contributed to preserving cave systems.
- Refinement of procedures and protocols that have advanced the art and science of cave diving techniques, raised proficiency, and enhanced safety.
- Documentation of cave surveys such as cartography of previously unmapped systems and updating old surveys with more precise data.
- Contributions to cave-related sciences such as hydrology, geology, and biology, including the discovery of new species, published scientific papers, lectures, and presentations to advance knowledge of the karst environment.
- Original writing or artwork related to cave diving, including NSS-CDS training materials, journals, magazines, blogs, books, photography, or videography.
- History of leadership and service within NSS- CDS.
- Recipients are awarded a Lifetime membership to NSS – CDS, a plaque, a feature in UWS, and recognition on the website and Facebook page.