Annual Distinguished Lecturer
Each year, SCCi hosts a distinguished lecturer to bring the latest cave and karst research to life. These experts will deepen your understanding of the roles caves and karst play in our world.
SCCi partners with research institutions and leading scientists to promote education in cave conservation, including karst hydrology, ecology, and history. Previous lecture topics have included pre-contact Native American art, novel mechanisms of speleogenesis, and global bat conservation efforts. Lectures are suitable for all audiences.
The Rivers Beneath Your Feet: Exploring Our Hidden Waterways with USGS
Scientist Ben Miller
Please join us for a fascinating evening with USGS scientist Ben Miller as we explore the invisible connections between our actions on the surface and the groundwater we all depend on. In our region, caves act as hidden pipelines, transporting water from the Cumberland Plateau down into the Tennessee Valley's karst Landscapes. Because this subterranean network is invisible and unpredictable, what happens above ground has a massive impact below. When local streams sink into Earth, they don't just disappear. They carry sediment, microbial activity, and pollution directly into our underground ecosystems.
Ben's cutting-edge field research provides the missing puzzle piece we need to map these secret pathways. By understanding where this water flows, we can shape smarter transportation, agricultural, and residential development policies, encourage responsible land ownership, and target conservation efforts where they matter most.
Come discover the mystery, science, and beauty of the rivers flowing right beneath your feet!
Tickets available now.
Saturday September 19, 2026
Doors open at 6:00 pm central. Lecture begins at 7:00 pm with a VIP reception to follow at 8:30 pm.
Ed Jones Memorial Auditorium | 416 Hogan Rd, Nashville, TN 37220
Student ticket pricing is available. Quantities are limited. Please bring copy of student ID to check-in.
Benjamin Miller is a USGS Physical Scientist and Karst Waters Institute Vice Chair.
Ben’s work includes recharge area delineation for caves and springs using dye tracing, seepage investigations examining surface water-groundwater interactions, hydrologic monitoring, and hydrologic studies coupled with biological inventories. Ben holds a M.Sc. in Hydrology and Geomorphology from Western Kentucky University with an emphasis in karst hydrology and a B.Sc. in Natural Resource Recreation Management from University of Missouri-Columbia. Ben serves on the board for the Cave Research Foundation, the Tennessee Cave Survey, and is on the steering committee for the National Cave and Karst Management Symposium.
Ben is also a lifelong avid caver and cave mapper, having surveyed and drafted cave maps for over 500 caves in 13 states and 6 countries.
This year's event is presented with the support of the National Speleological Society. Visit Caves.org to learn more.