In the period 11.-18. June 2023, joint fieldwork of the Croatian team of the CARDIKARST project (Aurel Persoiu, Christos Pennos, Dalibor Paar & Nenad Buzjak) took place at research locations in Croatia. The aim of the fieldwork was to familiarize staff with the research locations, to carry out current measurements and to explore the possibilities of cooperation and expansion of research in partner and new nature protection institutions. The field began in Rakovica, where the research location of the Barać caves is located. Our host was Slaven Vuković (Barać Caves Public Institution). We visited the Lower and Upper Barać caves and the Speleon visitor center.
The next research location is the Grabovača Cave Park. A meeting was held with the management of the Park – the researchers visited the Samograd cave, Budina Cave and Petrićeva Cave. A speleoclimatological measuring station was presented in the Samograd cave, and regular monthly spot measurements of air temperature, relative air humidity and CO2 concentration were performed.
In addition to these locations, foreign partners were presented with the location of the Golubnjača Cave in the Plitvice Lakes National Park and Ice Cave in Čudina uvala, which have great potential for future research. We also visited the Visitor center and Gornja and Donja Cerovačka caves, where the host Matija Ivanetić (Velebit Nature Park) introduced us to the concept of the Center and the system of visiting caves.
We used the common ground to exchange ideas and experiences that will help achieve the goals of the Project.
Text: Nenad Buzjak
Photographers: Christos Pennos, Dalibor Paar, Nenad Buzjak
