The Value of Caves to the Natural Environment of Indiana | 2021 Indiana University Rural Conference

The Indiana Uplands host thousands of caves, sinkholes, and springs; all part of an iconic karst landscape that hosts important groundwater resources, ecosystems for rare and endangered species, and unique mineral formations. These caves are important to the movement of sediments and nutrients, and are an archive for our changing climate. We will discuss the three pillars of cave studies: exploration, research, and conservation. We will track our individual pathways into caving and how that has influenced our personal and professional life. Join us and celebrate the International Year of Caves and Karst with this virtual journey into what lies beneath the region's surface.

Presenters: Lee Florea, Ph.D., and Sarah Burgess, Indiana Geological and Water Survey; Laura Demarest, Watershed Coordinator at Sullivan Co. Soil and Water Conservation District; Danyele Green, Bloomington Indiana Grotto