Scintilena - English Version

Protecting and managing underground sites for bats

EUROBATS Publication Series No 2

“Underground sites, such as caves, aban doned mines, fortifications and tunnels, are important habitats for bats right across Europe. In the north, they are used primarily for hibernation as they provide the sheltered conditions bats need. In the south, where underground temperatures are warmer, they are used throughout the year for both
breeding and hibernation. The most important sites may be used by many thousands of bats, though sites used by even small numbers can be re gionally important. Unfortunately, many underground sites have an uncertain future. Some are filled in, blocked up or converted for other uses, others are opened for uncontrolled tour ism or are heavily disturbed by unauthor ised visitors. In some cases, the loss of a single site could affect bats over an area of many thousands of square kilometres. Recognising the need to conserve and manage these sites, EUROBATS set up a project to catalogue the most important underground sites in Europe and has pre pared this practical guide
to help Parties and Range States protect and manage them in a way that will take account of the needs of the bats. ”
Electronic publication: ISBN 978-92-95058-03-3

Link: http://www.eurobats.org/publications/publication%
20series/PubSeries2engl_web.pdf

Best caving wishes,  Sofia Reboleira

Castelnuovo in Garfagnana (LU) 27-31 october 1-4 november

The english site and the calendar (italian) Special thanks to Peggy Renwick for the translations

Why are we holding a meeting on speleology in the Apuan Alps? First of all, because meeting signifies gathering together with others for a single goal…. The goal in this case is Speleology. The Apuan Alps form a huge mass of carboniferous rocks subject to karst processes, a type of terrain that favors the formation of caves, a region ideal for caving. Certainly More About.. »

The organizing committee announce the XIth European Bat Research Symposium, held between 18-22 august in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, with the Babeş-Bolyai University as host and in partnership with the Romanian Bat Protection Association and the Emil Racovita Speleological Institute Cluj-Napoca. The site

Attn. Please forward this email to All cavers and clubs in your country and your forums/networks

In the frame of the 4th European Speleological Congress “Vercors 2008″ that will be held from 23 to 30th of August 2008 in Lans-en-Vercors (French Alps), we invite all the European cavers to present the results of their works. The communications can be illustrated by graphics, drawings, maps, photos, slideshows, videos, posters, etc.

For this, please send before the 15th of November 2007 an email to articles.vercors@ffspeleo.fr with the following information in English or More About.. »

News by Michele Umek - Gruppo Triestino Speleologi (Trieste)
Translation by Giuseppe Moro

After six years of explorations and surveys we have found several snow-shafts and caverns (some 50 marked with the code NA), that don’t go further than 10 - 15 meters in depth, except for a drop 50 meters deep (NA10), a meanderin cave that has a planimetric lenght of 150 meters (NA15) and a pit that goes on in a meander, still unexplored.
The karstic area is not large and is completely included in an estate (hunting estate) so that permission by the owner is required to access the place. At the end of August 2007 the gamekeeper of the estate took us to what would be proved to be the access door to the inner part of the mountain (NA42). The cave, after two small pits, goes on with a long passage, until it reaches and intersecates a crossing tunnell. Walking towards one side the cave drops down to -300 meters, where we stopped due to equipment lack in a small draining passage. In the opposite direction an ascending  passage leads to a depth of only -18 meters under the cave entrance. Some climbs are still to be trusted (gaining a new entrance would shotr the walk of almost 300-350 meters of passages). The whole explored lenght of the cave accounts to c.a 600 meters. To reach the area a drive along a forest road 10 km long is needed (permission required by the regional forest administration) followed by a further walk of an hour.