TRAVELING SUMMER SCHOOL OF KARST IN BULGARIA (2015)*
Traveling Summer School of Karst in Bulgaria (2015) is an initiative of the specialized educational strategy „ProKARSTerra-Edu” of the Experimental laboratory in Karstology of National institute of Geophysics, Geodesy and Geography - BAS. The strategy is based on integration between the research concept of Karst Geosystems and the educational concept of Lifelong learning (exemplified by model protected karst territories). The initiative has been developed in international cooperation (Japan, the Czech Republic) and since 2012 it is supported by UNESCO through two subsequent projects along the Program for participation. Favorable basis for the implementation of this initiative is the widespread extremely diverse karst in Bulgaria, the network of protected karst territories and the developed model of karst geosystems, developed by NIGGG BAS. The Traveling summer school of Karst is a part of the program of the International Scientific-Practical Forum “Protected karst territories – education and training” (Sofia, Bulgaria, 2015).
MAIN PURPOSE: in actual protected karst areas in Bulgaria to conduct specialized field training (with demonstrations of interdisciplinary methods of research) of teachers, pupils, university students and doctoral students with keen interest in karst. This will be carried out based on the specific research expertise and equipment of the Experimental laboratory in Karstology of National institute of Geophysics, Geodesy and Geography - BAS and the existing tourist infrastructure of some Natural parks and show caves in Bulgaria. The Traveling school has international status of participation and includes winners of the International competition “Karst under protection – gift for the future generations”.
* The project “Traveling summer school of Karst” developed by NIGGG-BAS, funded along the Program for participation 2014-2015of UNESCO (¹ BG 7290115062). Coordinator: Petar Stefanov