Flintshire: Cefn Mawr Quarry seeks eco projects for top prize

Heidelberg Materials has announced the launch of the sixth round of its international Quarry Life Award, a competition designed to promote biodiversity and sustainability at quarry sites.

This year, Cefn Mawr quarry near Mold will be one of the key locations for the event, offering participants the opportunity to contribute to environmental protection while competing for a share of the £250,000 prize fund.

The Quarry Life Award, first established in 2011, encourages participants from over 15 countries to submit innovative project ideas that enhance biodiversity and foster sustainable management at quarry sites. Since its inception, the award has attracted more than 1,500 submissions, generating over 450 impactful projects aimed at preserving and restoring natural habitats.

Jason Parry, Quarry Manager at Cefn Mawr, emphasised the importance of biodiversity to Heidelberg Materials’ sustainability goals. “The protection and enhancement of biodiversity is at the core of our sustainability strategy,” Jason stated.

“We aim to encourage projects that support our ongoing efforts to improve biodiversity and restoration quality at our sites.”

“Additionally, we’re interested in ideas that can help the public better understand the essential role quarrying plays in building and maintaining our infrastructure, such as homes, schools, roads, and hospitals.”

The competition is divided into two main streams: research and community.

The research stream is tailored for academics, scientists, and research groups who can propose scientific projects that increase knowledge of quarry-specific ecology or enhance biodiversity, landscape, or water management.

In contrast, the community stream is open to a broader audience, including individuals, students, schools, and community groups.

This stream focuses on projects that strengthen connections between quarries and their surrounding communities and raise public awareness of the biodiversity present at extraction sites.

At the national level, top projects in both streams will be awarded a £4,000 prize. National winners will then compete internationally, with category winners receiving €10,000 (approximately £8,400) each. The overall best project will secure a grand prize of €30,000 (around £25,300).

Project proposals, based at Cefn Mawr quarry, are invited to be submitted on the Quarry Life Award website by 18 November 2024.

A panel of experts will then select six of the proposals to become projects to be carried out between January and September 2025.