ORA Krasa in Brkinov, with the help of the municipality of Hrpelje-Kozina, within the framework of the strategic project Interreg KRAS-CARSO II and with many collaborators, held numerous events this year marking the 120th anniversary of research and the 110th anniversary of tourism in Dimnice Cave. The events started in winter with a meeting with journalists, followed by a lecture on the latest discoveries about the formation of the Klanec cave, a highly attended geocaching event, an extemporaneous competition for the youth in the underground, a concert, and a celebration as part of the municipal holiday, with an article in the September newsletter and an exhibition of top cave photographers at the Hrpelje library. The event concluded in mid-November with a guide training course at the Shamare Resort Wellness Center in Hrpelje. After greetings from Nika Langus, project manager at KRAS-CARSO II, Bogdan Macarola, president of the tourist guides association of Karst and Brkini, and Franc Malečkar from the Dimnice Speleological Society, followed lectures on the latest presentations of Dimnice Cave. The strategic project partner, the University of Primorska Faculty of Tourism Studies – Turistica, under the leadership of Prof. Dejan Paliska, is preparing a 3D presentation of the geotourism park. As part of this project, segments of Dimnice Cave and the sinkhole in Velike Loče were filmed. The lecturer highlighted similar projects worldwide, as they serve as excellent promotional materials in visitor centers and provide experiences for people with mobility impairments. Geologist Uroš Novak from ZRC SAZU, the Karst Research Institute (Inštitut za raziskovanje Krasa ZRC SAZU), also a partner in the KRAS-CARSO II project, presented the results of 3D scanning of the entrance section of Dimnice Cave. Devices were placed in 41 locations from the entrance shaft to the Cyclops pillars. This allows for a more "plastic" understanding of the cave and also serves as a basis for introducing phenomena related to the development of the underground.
The central part of the day featured a lecture by Urša Žorž Požrl from the Izola-based organization Eventio, who provided tips on effective performance in guiding activities. She introduced examples based on Mehrabian's rules, from visual elements, auditory elements, to the importance of the message. The participants then performed three-minute presentations in front of the camera. The workshop ended with an analysis of the participants' performances and how to improve them. Armed with these insights, the guides ventured into the field. First, they looked out over the contact karst of the Matarsko Podolje from the road to Mrša. They descended into Slivje, where they were fascinated by the wealth of stone heritage in the church of St. Martin. They decided to return and prepare a brochure on this topic. This was followed by a descent into the blind valley of Mrzlica and a stop at the ice well in Markovščina.
Participants are grateful to the hosts at the Shamare Resort for the warm welcome and to the organizers for the well-prepared practical enhancement of their knowledge and experience, with the hope to meet again on December 15th in the Dimnice Cave ballroom, where the 140th anniversary of the society will be celebrated, of which Ivan Andrej Perko was the first researcher.
Text: Franc Malečkar
Photos: Bogdan Macarol
