The Quarry Life Award, which is organised by global cement and aggregates producer HeidelbergCement, is a biennial scientific and educational competition designed to help conserve and promote biodiversity in quarries.
Students, scientists and non-governmental organisations from more than 20 participating countries – including Europe, Africa, central Asia and the Asia-Oceania region – will be able to throw their hats into the ring by submitting project proposals relating to five categories:
- Habitat and species research.
- Biodiversity management.
- Education and raising awareness.
- Beyond quarry borders.
- Student class project.
Based on the innovation, feasibility, added value, stakeholder engagement and educational aspects of their proposals, five entrants will be selected to move into the field work stage of their project. This will be undertaken from April to September 2016 at a participating quarry operated by HeidelbergCement’s subsidiary Hanson.
A ‘unique’ competition
{{image2-a:r-w:270}}Hanson’s Australian operation was recently named the winner of Cement Concrete Aggregates Australia’s 2015 Victorian Environmental Innovation Award for its involvement as a founding participant in the inaugural 2012 Quarry Life Award program.
“The Quarry Life Award is unique within the quarry industry worldwide as no other major quarry company organises and hosts a biodiversity research competition,” Hanson ecologist Ken Brown told Quarry.
Brown pointed out that understanding and managing biodiversity issues and environmental responsibilities was key to quarries maintaining a “social licence to operate”.
“All quarries have environmental conditions that may include managing endangered species, community consultation and best practice quarry rehabilitation,” he said. “In the Australian [Quarry Life award] competition we have hosted research into frogs, birds, microbats, habitat restoration and community consultation.”
Brown added that the awards program had provided useful information and inspired the development of practical tools that were being implemented at Hanson quarry sites.
“The concept of promoting ecological research on quarry sites is applicable to the whole industry and the information gained can inform site biodiversity action plans, environmental management plans and community consultation,” he said.
Promoting international participation
In addition to having the chance to claim the national Quarry Life Award, the five finalists in each country will be in the running to win the international prize for each category, as well as the international award for best overall project.
In 2014, second place Australian award winner Sophie Malkin won the international Quarry Life Award for the raising public awareness category.
The deadline for Quarry Life Award project proposals is 1 March, 2016, with award winners to be announced later that year.
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