Extraordinary Women Leaders in Speleology (EWLS)

Sarah Martin, assistant general manager of Mammoth Cave Hotel enlisted Kesley Janes, a senior at Edmonson County High School, to beautify the Mammoth Cave National Park camp store as part of a renovation and rehabilitation project. Kesley recently created mural above the counter featuring the wildlife guests may encounter when they visit. She has been painting images for the last year. She painted a skunk and an owl on support pillar at the store and a blue-tailed lizard near the register. #EWLS #WLeadership Source: glasgowdailytimes.com

Along with 13 other contestants, Suzanne Wyatt would have to hunt and forage for her own food, build shelters, and learn to live without all the creature comforts we take for granted. No phones, no television, no cosmetics and no supermarkets. "Although it was tough, I’d do it all again in a heartbeat, because I learnt and experienced so much. It’s great to be back home. Though I wouldn’t mind going back for a holiday!" Source: mirror.co.uk

During the Jan. 22 to 24 weekend in 2016, Great Basin National Park hosted its annual Lehman Caves lint camp cleanup. About 25 volunteers from three states carried buckets, brushes and other cleaning supplies into the cave network. After a cleanup, “people notice that part of the cave looks brighter,” chief park ecologist Gretchen Baker said. “It’s an ongoing effort ...The National Speleological Society convention is coming, so we want to make sure cavers coming from all over the world have a good view. The lint and debris have been building up for decades. Over 30,000 people go through the cave a year.” #WLeaders #WomenCavers #EWLS Sources elynews.com cavingnews.com

Becky Kagen is an award-winning underwater director of photography. Other then being a photographer, she is also a tech instructor. Becky has had a had a curiosity for what was underneath the waves since she was a kid and she always thought that documenting it was what she was going to do. Becky is an Emmy Award winning underwater camera operator, photographer and technical diver. She has been seen on major networks including National Geographic, Discovery Channel and the Travel Channel. She has done several exploration projects and has earned her place within the Fellow Explorer Club. In 2013 she was introduced into the Women Divers Hall of Fame. She has filmed in challenging environments such as caves, under ice, shipwrecks, and even sharks. She has over 20 years of diving experiences, logging thousands of hours underwater making her comfortable in most any environment. She has passion about the underwater world and loves to share her photography and give diving lesions. Her advent

Amy Ward and Christine Rose were Georgia State Parks employees in 2011, but frustrated with the budget cuts they decided to quit and start their own business called Georgia Girl Guides where the two take people on guided tours into caves in Cloudland Canyon State Park and Pigeon Mountain. Ward is trained in cave rescue and Rose has a master’s in ecological teaching and learning. #WLeadership #EWLS #WomenCavers Source: northwestgeorgianews.com