IMPROVING ACCESSIBILITY OF CAVE AND KARST SCIENCE WITH EDUCATIONAL GRAPHICS, SCALED DOWN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT MATERIALS, AND SOCIAL MEDIA ENGAGEMENT

Cave and karst is a multidisciplinary field where scientists with different backgrounds come together to study the intricacies of subterranean environments. Communication and understanding between people with different linguistic backgrounds is an important factor for research as well as transmission of that information between scientists, policymakers, and the public. Part of the mission of the National Cave and Karst Research Institute (NCKRI) is to promote public education by acting as a nexus for education and outreach projects between various entities, providing resources to educators and academic institutions, and having multiple ways in which to interact with the public. However, cave science is particularly jargon rich, and the overuse of jargon hinders the ability to effectively transmit information to these stakeholders. Therefore, the motive for current and recent outreach projects that NCKRI has developed with its partners is to make cave and karst science more accessible. Some of the educational and outreach initiatives include a weekly cave and karst word definition shared through social media, the development of scaled down resource management materials, and developing graphics and animations for educational modules and social media. The purpose of the cave and karst word of the week is to make karst jargon more accessible, explain terms that are important for the understanding of caves and karst as sensitive resources, and recognize caves and karst as an interdisciplinary subject matter. Outreach materials are also a great way to communicate science to the public. In the development of these materials, the process of scaling down information is an effective way to not only transmit relevant information but also capture the public’s interest. These resource management materials were created with the intention of using concise, accessible language, in a way that is visually appealing and relevant. With the purpose of expanding engagement and diversifying the way information is presented, creating graphics and animations of geophysical and geochemical processes can aid in the comprehension of complex or abstract concepts.