Finished projects

Life under the City – The secret life of the Dubrovnik underground

Karst makes up more than 50% of Croatian territory and belongs to the richest and most diverse area in terms of cave animals in the world. As much as 70% of our underground animal species are endemic. Up to 600 caves have been discovered in Dubrovnik-Neretva County so far, with an estimation that the total number is about 1,500. In 39 of them, 82 cave animal species were discovered for the first time and scientifically described.

In order to preserve this underground richness, it is necessary to introduce the people living in this fragile area to the uniqueness of karst. With education on subjects like cave biology and the quality of groundwater, we want to prevent further degradation of the area. The best way to achieve this is to educate students and the public about the richness and values of the underground and the importance of its protection and preservation. The project activities are a continuation of cooperation with teachers in the city of Dubrovnik that started in 2014.

The project is carried out in cooperation with teachers and students of elementary and secondary schools in the city of Dubrovnik. CBSS members hold workshops in which students and teachers get acquainted with the concepts of underground, speleology, biospeleology, and the problem of karst underground pollution. After the lectures, they have the opportunity to study cave animals and compare them with their relatives living outside of caves, watch a movie about the behavior of cave animals and think about how it would be to live in total darkness through fun and simple games.

The project is funded by the City of Dubrovnik.