Join The Explorers Club on June 22nd to uncover a treasure trove of Pleistocene fossils lying deep in a cave system in eastern Mexico.
Deep within the limestone systems of eastern Mexico, Sistema Calera preserves a rare and dynamic record of the Late Pleistocene. What was once thought to be a small and relatively unremarkable cave has revealed itself, through continued exploration, to contain hundreds of fossil remains, including mammoth, bison, camelids, and dire wolf, distributed across more than a kilometer of mapped passage.
This presentation follows the evolving investigation of the cave, from its initial biological interest to the expanding geological and paleontological significance uncovered through fieldwork, mapping, and the use of underwater ROV technology. Rather than a static deposit, the cave appears to function as a long-term karst system shaped by seasonal flooding, sediment transport, and complex preservation processes.
Through imagery, field observations, and ongoing analysis, this talk explores how these remains accumulated, what the cave reveals about past environments, and how modern tools are allowing access to areas beyond safe human reach.
Sistema Calera raises as many questions as it answers, offering not a finished story, but a developing archive of deep time still being uncovered.
This in-person event at the Explorers Club Headquarters will include an audience Q&A.
RESERVATIONS
This will be an in-person lecture at Explorers Club Headquarters.
In-person tickets are $20 for Members, and $35 for the General Public.
Check-in will begin at 6:00 pm, with a beer and wine reception from 6:00 – 7:00 pm
Michael Girard
Michael Girard is an explorer, speleologist, and writer focused on caves, lost landscapes, and hidden history. His work combines field exploration with emerging technologies, including underwater remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) and photogrammetry, to investigate environments that are difficult or unsafe to access directly.
He is a member of The Explorers Club and the National Speleological Society, and has conducted expeditions throughout the northeastern United States and Mexico. His recent work in Sistema Calera has contributed to the ongoing exploration of a complex karst system containing a significant assemblage of Late Pleistocene fossils.
In addition to his fieldwork, Michael is a public speaker and author, sharing stories of exploration that bridge science, history, and the human drive to discover what remains hidden.
