Endorsements

Kyung-Sik Woo. Professor Emeritus, Kangwon National University Korea. Chair, IUCN WCPA Geoheritage Specialist Group. Past President, International Union of Speleology. Advisor, Cave Research Institute of Korea

I first met Andy. Spate when I invited him to Korea as an invited speaker at a conference in 2001 held by Cultural Heritage Administration. Since then, I have invited him more than 15 times to Korea for counseling about the management of several tourist caves in Korea and to have him assist in the development of World Heritage and Global Geopark nominations. Manjang Lave Tube Cave, April 2006

He has a great knowledge on tourist cave management such as lighting system, infrastructure, operation of guided tourism, etc. I can say that he is one of the top-class experts in this specialized field. He has been of great help with South Korea’s bids for recognition of our natural resource heritage.

Manjang Lave Tube Cave, April 2006Brian D Clark PSM. Present manager, Mulu Caves World Heritage Area. Former manager 1985 to 2001, Naracoorte Caves World Heritage Area 

Since our first meeting in 1986 Andy has been both mentor and friend, a font of information willingly given to guide me through numerous karst site management problem-solving exercises.

I have been fortunate in having been able to recruit Andy on occasion for cave/karst guide training exercises and i have twice worked with Andy on projects in Korea and Vietnam during which he demonstrated the highest standards of competence and professionalism, often working in very difficult circumstances brought about by the tyranny of language barriers .

Along with an extraordinary depth of knowledge on all things karst, Andy possesses the skills to impart such knowledge to the widest of audiences in terms of technical and management experience.

His excellent capacity for research and timely delivery of situation appropriate reports are highly commendable traits.

For further task specific endorsement of Andy Spate I welcome any enquiry through brianclark @ mulupark.com.

Dan Cove, Jenolan Caves. Vice-President, Australasian Cave and Karst Management Association. Director, International Show Caves Association.

I have known Andy for almost 20 years, both through the Australasian Cave and Karst Management Association and through his work at Wombeyan and Jenolan Caves. I have often consulted his  research and written works when developing plans and proposals for show cave infrastructure works. Andy has clearly made a significant contribution to furthering cave and karst management in Australia, and is regarded internationally as an expert as demonstrated by his appointment to the Technical and Scientific Committee of ISCA, the International Show Cave Association.

Stephen Meehan. Manager, Karst and Geodiversity Unit, NSW Office of Environment and Heritage.

Andy Spate has partnered with me on a variety of karst planning and management projects for a period spanning over 11 years.  The expert knowledge and practical experience that Andy brought to these projects was invaluable, and greatly contributed to their successful application by the NSW Government.  In my time as Manager, Karst and Geodiversity Unit, I have been fortunate to be able to draw on Andy’s intimate knowledge of karst to respond to high level enquiries by public officials and the community, and for this I am eternally grateful. Based on my personal experience, I am pleased to recommend Andy Spate to anyone seeking expertise in the areas of karst management and science.  

Jane Ambrose. Director, Natural Heritage North, Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities.

I had the pleasure of working with Andy on several projects to assess the heritage values of Australian karst and pseudokarst landscapes, both at the national and the international level. Andy was a key player in the development of two frameworks aimed at devising two short-lists of nationally important karst and pseudokarst areas, which in turn have served to inform the Australian Heritage Council in its work in considering places for the National Heritage List. Andy also provided valuable input on the development of the successful Ningaloo Coast nomination to the World Heritage List, which was accepted by the World Heritage Committee last year. Andy is an amenable person, very competent in his field, and generous with his expertise.

 Steve Bourne, Former president, Australasian Cave and Karst Management Association.Former Manager, 2002 to 2011, Naracoorte Caves World Heritage Area.

Andy Spate is one of Australia’s premier cave and karst scientists. His knowledge extends to all aspects of cave and karst management and he has published widely on this subject, including the preparation of a number of management plans. Andy is generous in sharing his knowledge and has presented at many conferences and workshops. He is often sought out by cave guides who tap into his rich knowledge and has prepared  a number of excellent resources for cave guides. He has also been involved with World Heritage, from preparation of nominations to assisting with a number of projects I implemented at Naracoorte Caves World Heritage Site. Andy’s knowledge and experience combined with his communication skills make him a valuable resource for any cave and karst project.