CaveMAB Carst 2020

“CaveMAB Facilitators and Network Coordinators: Clayton Lino, Speleologist, Director, Mata Atlantica Biosphere Reserve, Lee Anne Bledsoe, Research Hydrologist, Assistant Director, Crawford Hydrology Laboratory at WKU, and Darja Kranjc, Ethologist and Cultural Anthropologist, Public Agency Park Škocjanske jame, Slovenija Karst (and Reka River Basin) Biosphere Reserve.

This session brought together the newly formed CaveMAB network, an informal, global network of cave and karst biosphere reserves (www.cavemab.com). The workshop started with a message of encouragement and support from Miguel Cluesner-Godt, Director, UNESCO Division of Ecological and Earth Sciences and Secretary to the Man and the Biosphere Program. Clayton Lino then briefed the group on 2018/2019 CaveMAB activities and the recently drafted Declaration of Objectives. He then presented several examples of best practices from Brazil and the importance of sharing experiences in the CaveMAB network. George Veni, UIS President and NCKRI Director, then introduced the UIS International Year of Caves and Karst and shared some ideas for how CaveMAB could support the initiative. Lee Anne Bledsoe then lead the group in two breakout sessions – the first to provide the opportunity for workshop participants to introduce themselves and as a new network get to know one another, the second breakout session asked participants to propose one collective action that CaveMAB could take to support the IYCK 2021 and celebrate the 50th Anniversary of MAB.”