The Mammoth Cave Biosphere Region is home to the world’s largest cave system. The Region, that was founded in 1990 as part of the UNESCO Man, exists under a cooperative agreement between Mammoth Cave National Park, the Barren River Area Development District, and Western Kentucky University; it is composed of a 25-member Advisory Council with members from federal, state, and local governments, community groups, conservation groups, universities, local businesses, and agriculture. Karst regions like Mammoth Cave are underlain by rock that can be dissolved by water, creating sinkholes, springs, underground streams, and caves where our vital water resources are vulnerable to pollution. Not only has water formed the more than four hundred miles of cave passage that brings hundreds of thousands of visitors to our region but it sustains our farms, wildlife, and our livelihoods. The FCS Extension Agent serves as a member of the Mammoth Cave Biosphere Region Advisory Council. The council is committed to promoting water conservation and sustainable development for healthy people, a healthy economy, and a healthy environment.

Photo used with the permission of the photographer, Wayne Garmon.

In celebration of Earth Day 2021, to advocate for the protection of our community’s vital resources and to promote awareness, the Advisory Council created an informative 1-minute video. The video was created with the assistance of Vid Monster Productions (Bowling Green) and will be submitted to the 2021 International Year of Caves and Karsts competition among biosphere regions across the globe. The FCS Agent assisted with the video voiceover of the project that featured beautiful images and clips of our karst region. Local partners, including the Boys and Girls Club Glasgow-Barren County, also participated in filming; 3 club members were featured in the video.

This project was able to reach thousands of South-Central Kentuckians; it premiered on Earth Day, April 22nd on local television stations (WBKO,WNKY) and through various social media outlets. On the Region's Facebook page alone, 2400 people viewed the produced media. 

Discover more about these efforts and watch the video here: 

https://www.wbko.com/2021/04/22/celebrating-earth-day-at-mammoth-cave-with-special-video-release-together-for-caves/