Mammoth Cave National Park was founded to preserve the cave systems, a portion of the Green and Nolin Rivers, and the rugged hills, valleys and forested ecosystems of the park.
The Mammoth Cave International Center for Science and Learning (MCICSL) was created in 2004 as a partnership between Mammoth Cave National Park and Western Kentucky University. Both partners equally share in the funding, logistical support, and governance of the Center. MCICSL is part of a national network of 17 research learning centers located within the National Parks. All Research Learning Centers
- Facilitate the use of parks for scientific inquiry.
- Support science-informed decision making.
- Communicate the relevance of and provide access to knowledge gained through scientific research.
- Promote science literacy and resource stewardship.
Specific ways that MCICSL accomplishes these goals include:
- Coordinating scientific research and research permitting at Mammoth Cave National Park,
- Assisting researchers with arranging research logistics in the park,
- Participating in research projects,
- Serving as a scientific consultant,
- Presenting at scientific and educational conferences,
- Providing written internal and external research summaries,
- Hosting teacher training workshops,
- Offering public workshops on research occurring within the park,
- Coordinating or co-coordinating research-based internships, and
- Teaching high school and college groups about current research issues and providing them with hands-on experiences.