Extraordinary Women Leaders in Speleology (EWLS)

“Caving pushes me to my limits and it is rewarding to be able to push past that comfort zone … I enjoy very much the friendships, camaraderie, and social aspects.” Kara Mickaelson Award Winning Cave Photographer & 2013 EWC #WLeadership #ewls www.ewls.org

Montreal (Quebec) at TOHU March 23 to May 8, 2016 After its great impact at the UNESCO House in Paris in January 2015, the exhibit highlighting the importance of these geological riches in the culture and history of Haiti is now invited to Montreal (Quebec) at TOHU, from March 23 to May 8, 2016. This multimedia exhibit, presented by the Association Hommes des Cavernes , displays works by three cave photographers: EWLS Social Media Reporter Carole Devillers, Jean-François Fabriol, and Olivier Testa of the http://www.Cavesofhaiti.org team. It was put together by curator and caver Stéphanie Jagou, of the same team. Come and discover it! #womencavers #speleology #ewls #cavesofhaiti SOURCES Carole Devillers, EWLS Social Media Reporter tohu.ca grottesdhaiti.org cavesofhaiti.org facebook.com/CavesofHaiti

Annette Price is a cave, mine, adventure sport, and wild place photographer. She has been a freelance photographer since 1988, producing images that meet the needs of magazine editors, news agencies, equipment and clothing manufactures - as well as athletes and print buyers.  She is based in the UK but travels abroad when required to photograph sports, explorers, athletes, and recreational outdoor enthusiasts in remote locations. Annette is trained as a graphic designer and illustrator. She has been diving since 2004, caving since 2003, and a photographer for operation Raleigh (now Raleigh International) for 3 month expeditions in the jungles of Guyana, South America. She is also the Assistant photographer for John Snett, an advertising and editorial studio photography in West End, London. Annette has been published in several Magazines such as BBC Focus Magazine, The Times, The Daily Mail, Digital SLR User Magazine, Land Rover Owner International Magazine, Diver Magazine, Outdoor P

“Caves provide a place that is separate from all other places . . .  the darkness, the silence, and the formations that are only found underground, it is really difficult to describe the wonderful experience that each cave offers.” Errin Walker Environmental Planner and 2013 EWC #ScienceWomen #WLeadership #ewls www.ewls.org

Kenneth Ingham is a photographer in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He works with light and its absence in capturing the images that he sees when he starts. He shoots mostly women, scientists, science-in-action, and caves. He works often with models to create a professional portfolio and says “If you believe that you are sexy, you are, and it shows it in the photos.” Kenneth got his first camera around 1970 when he was 8 years old. He got a SLR in 1980. The first photo he ever sold was around 1985; about the time he started caving. “ I took my first very bad cave photos. It took a while to learn how to get good photos in the cave” he said.   The first time he took his camera with him caving it was in Fort Stanton Cave. He got in to caving as someone who liked photography and took photos on every cave trip; back in the film days photos were made by calculating flash to subject distances and then bracketing and hoping to get a single good photo per roll of film. Digi

Anne Forshner, wildlife ecologist, and group stumbled on to two hibernating bats in a cave in Banff National Park when visiting to replace a dead battery on a piece of bat-detecting sound equipment that had been installed a couple of months earlier. This is the first time bats have been found overwintering in the area. “We know we have seven species of bats,” said Forshner, noting there’s evidence of little brown miotis, silver-haired bat, hoary bat, Eastern red bat, long-legged miotis, long-earred bat and the big brown bat in the three parks. #WomenCavers #ewls #ScienceWomen www.ewls.org SOURCE calgaryherald.com

Archaeologists unearthed the skeletons of an undisturbed Neolithic couple locked in an embrace in the Alepotrypa, or foxhole, one of the Diros caves in southern Greece, the prehistoric remains were positioned curled into the fetal position, as if spooning each other. The grave also contained broken arrowheads. Although the pair was originally found in 2014 by a team of archaeologists and speleologists led by George Papathanassopoulos, the Greek Ministry of Culture announced the results of DNA and radio carbon tests on Thursday, just in time for Valentine’s Day. The couple Held Hands for 1,500 Years. The skeletons were dated to 3800 B.C. and DNA analysis confirmed the remains belong to a man and a woman. “Double burials in embrace are extremely rare,” the ministry said. “The skeletons of Diros represent one of the oldest, if not the oldest, found to this date,” it added. Discovered in 1958, the Alepotrypa Cave was used between 6000 and 3200 B.C. and served as both a settlement and

“I’ve always been interested in geology, but caving really gave me the motivation to pursue it academically … Being covered with dirt is a geologist’s nirvana.” Hester Mellonee Geophysics Graduate Research Assistant & 2013 EWC #ScienceWomen #WLeadership #ewls www.ewls.org

Ginger Livingston Sanders, women caver and photographer was noticed by Applebee’s. Her work is now displayed as wall murals in Bend and Redmond Oregon restaurants. #ewls #womencavers #WLeaders www.ewls.org

Check out these amazing women in cave biology. If you like this article, you'll love our Pinterest page. Sofia Reboleira is a biologist at the University of Aveiro and postdoctoral researcher Center with Enviromental and Marien Studies. Read more here . Penelope (Penny) Boston, speleo-biologist and Director of Cave and Karst Science at New Mexico Tech, co-founded Mars Underground and then the Mars Society. Read more here . Bat biologist Patricia Brown has been following the resident colonies of the California leaf-nosed bat for over thirty years, noting population size and health, recognizing hazards to their livelihood, and advocating on their behalf. This year she led and organized a handful of volunteers and BLM staff gather for this twice-yearly event where bats are surveyed. Amee Hart: Because of her vast research on bats and her involvement in bat research and knowledge in our community, many people call her when they find dead bats a