Goals & Objectives

The goal of CavesLIVE is to raise awareness and understanding of caves and karst -- a resource that is seldom seen and considered mysterious -- and connect it to people's everyday lives. The objectives of this distance learning adventure are to:

• Educate students and others that caves and karst features on the surface are pathways to the subsurface
• Learn about how nutrient and energy sources move through those pathways into the subsurface, sustaining thriving communities of biota of all sizes.
• Educate about how people have used caves to sustain/protect life, for their cultural and spiritual practices, and for science, education, and fun.
• Understand the role of citizens, public land management agencies, and non-governmental organizations in stewarding natural resources.
• Increase participation in and understanding of citizen science programs related to caves and karst so that students learn the importance of being a good steward.
• Meet national education standards as they relate to Earth, Biological, and Social Sciences.