HeidelbergCement has launched the fourth edition of competition to boost biodiversity in quarries. The 'Quarry Life Award' targets innovative approaches to study and boost biodiversity at quarry sites and aims to raise awareness about mining ecology. New in this fourth edition is the separate assessment of scientific and community project ideas.

To participate in this competition, students, graduates, researchers, NGOs and local communities have to submit a project to one of the six available categories. From January to September 2018, HeidelbergCement will open the doors of its quarries in 26 participating countries – with Benin, Burkina Faso, Egypt, France, Italy and Morocco joining for the first time.

“Many of our quarries serve as a habitat for rare species. Protecting biodiversity in our quarries and promoting the knowledge about it is therefore particularly important to us,” said Dr Bernd Scheifele, chairman of the Managing Board at HeidelbergCement. “We believe that the research projects and ideas of the Quarry Life Award contribute to these efforts. That’s why we implement the Quarry Life Award for the fourth time in a row.”

The Quarry Life Award
Furthermore, the Quarry Life Award has become a platform to develop and share expertise as well as best practices amongst different stakeholders. This was even acknowledged by the European Commission: “The European Commission welcomes HeidelbergCement's efforts to recognise the value of nature and integrating natural capital and biodiversity into economic decision making. We welcome the openness to share these findings and best practices”, said Daniel Calleja Crespo, Director-General for Environment at the European Commission.

New concept fosters conservation and stakeholder dialogue
To allow fair competition for all participants, the Quarry Life Award is now split into two streams: the research stream and the community stream.

The research stream focusSes on scientific projects that increase knowledge of mining ecology and lead to improved biodiversity, landscape, or water management. It is open to academics, scientists, experts and NGOs. The available categories in this stream are:
    •    biodiversity management
    •    habitat and species research
    •    beyond quarry borders

The community stream focusses on engagement and outreach projects that help the quarry to better connect with its local stakeholders. Furthermore it will raise awareness and help to educate about biodiversity in quarries. This stream is open to everyone - individuals, students, school classes, NGOs and local communities. The available categories in this stream are:
    •    biodiversity and education
    •    connecting quarries and local communities
    •    student class project

Best overall project to receive EUR30,000
By 1 December 2017, the juries of each national contest will review the submitted proposals and select the projects that enter the competition. The contestants will be invited to implement their research project between January and September 2018.

In the autumn 2018, the national juries will grant four national awards: two for the best projects in the research stream and two for the best projects in the community stream (with prizes of EUR5000 and EUR2500). Simultaneously all participating projects will also be individually assessed by an international jury and will compete for international prizes. The best projects in each of the six categories will receive an international award of EUR10,000. The best project overall will receive EUR30,000.