AGI Welcomes the National Cave and Karst Research Institute as 48th Member Society

Alexandria, VA — The American Geological Institute is pleased to announce the 48th Member Society of the AGI Federation, The National Cave and Karst Research Institute (NCKRI).

Originally part of the National Park Service, NCKRI is a non-profit organization with three founding partners: The National Park Service; the City of Carlsbad; and the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology. NCKRI exists to advance cave and karst science, serve as a repository for data, foster partnerships, promote educational programs, develop both national and international programs, and promote environmentally sound and sustainable cave and karst management.

Their addition to the AGI federation adds to the quality speleological and hydrological organizations already part of AGI’s member society council. NCKRI’s active role in research, publishing and developing educational and outreach programs matches well with AGI’s mission. Dr. P. Patrick Leahy, AGI Executive Director says “We are very pleased to include NCKRI as part of the AGI Federation and hope to partner with their staff on shared initiatives to increase the public awareness of the earth sciences. This is an exciting time at NCKRI as they transition to non-profit status and it is our hope that belonging to AGI is beneficial during this process.”

NCKRI’s Executive Director, Dr. George Veni, sees AGI membership as integral to fulfilling NCKRI’s mission. “Roughly 25% of this country is karst, yet most people, including some geoscientists, don’t adequately understand what that means. AGI offers an unparalleled platform for educating the public, policymakers, and the geoscience community about how karst functions, and the resources and challenges it presents.”

To learn more about NCKRI visit http://www.nckri.org/