Background/Question/Methods
This year’s theme is “Enhancing Ecological Thought by Linking Research and Education.” But how do you link research and education? That question can be hard to answer, even for a national park with active resource management, interpretation, and environmental education divisions. For Mammoth Cave National Park, the answer included partnering with Western Kentucky University (WKU) to form the Mammoth Cave International Center for Science and Learning (MCICSL). MCICSL is part of a national network of research learning centers located within the National Parks. The goals of MCICSL are to facilitate research, to encourage science informed decision making, and to educate a variety of audiences about the research happening at Mammoth Cave National Park. MCICSL’s educational efforts serve a variety of internal and external audiences. The methods employed to reach such diverse audiences vary widely. They include such strategies as workshops, internships, research-focused field opportunities, educational presentations, and internal and external research summaries. All of this has been accomplished with 1.5 full-time employees and the support, cooperation, and assistance of WKU and Mammoth Cave staff; showing that a large number of additional staff is not necessarily required to link research and education.

Results/Conclusions
This poster illustrates some of the methods that MCICSL has used over the past two years to bridge the gap between research and education at Mammoth Cave National Park. Each method is informally evaluated to highlight the associated advantages and challenges. These examples will provide inspiration and knowledge to others wanting to better integrate their research with educational opportunities.