National Cave and Karst Research Institute

Carlsbad, New Mexico | Conduct, support, facilitate, and promote programs in cave and karst research, education, environmental management, and data acquisition and sharing.

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Technical Services

Using our team's collective knowledge in cave and karst science, we can study, investigate, train and develop management programs in cave and karst areas.

Workshops

NCKRI has hosted a wide variety of educational events, seminars, classes and workshops teaching many different aspects of cave and karst science over the years. Most have focused on cave and karst management, which uses science to conserve our natural resources to benefit people and the natural world. A few examples of our workshops include:

  • Karst Environmental Assessment Workshop, San Antonio, Texas
    This intense 4-day workshop was specially designed to enhance the ability of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to evaluate karst features in its efforts to protect the karstic Edwards Aquifer—the primary source of drinking water for over 2 million people in central Texas.
  • Guiding Principles in the Management of Karst World Heritage Sites, Shilin, Yunnan, China
    NCKRI was invited to teach this workshop as part of the UNESCO World Heritage Forum on Tourism Development and Rural Socio-Economic Prosperity at World Heritage Sites. It was designed for managers of cave and karst World Heritage Sites based on geological, biological, or cultural features of global importance.
  • Environmental Impacts and Management of Karst Systems
    This course has been taught in various ways and tailored to the needs of its audience. For example, it was taught in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil, for our sister institute, Instituto do Carste, as a weeklong multi-disciplinary course focused on managers of natural areas, parks, and show caves. It was also taught as a one-day workshop for water resource managers in Cancun, Quintana Roo, Mexico. Hosted by Los Amigos de Sian Ka’an, that workshop targeted the needs of the growing urban population and the long-term impact of sea-level rise on the coastal city’s karst aquifer.

NCKRI has also partnered with many organizations and programs to teach other technical workshops and seminars around the US and internationally. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we worked with universities, government, agencies, and nonprofits to teach short virtual workshops in Brazil, India, the Philippines, Portugal, the United Kingdom, and the US.

A student workshop put together by NCKRI.
NCKRI workshops are often conducted in the field, where the karst is best understood and conversations with trainees is easiest. NCKRI staff photo: Dianne Joop.

The needs of cave and karst management vary from place to place, but are crucial to how humans interact with and understand those environments. NCKRI’s global experience and expertise make us ready to teach and assist wherever we are needed.

Attendees at an NCKRI hosted Bat Conservation International workshop for federal land management agencies in Southeastern New Mexico.
Photo credit: NCKRI staff, Dianne Joop – Taken during NCKRI hosted Bat Conservation International workshop for federal land management agencies in Southeastern New Mexico.