International winners of QLA 2014 announced

On 9 December 2014, HeidelbergCement celebrated the winners of the 2014 International Quarry Life Award (QLA) at a ceremony in Prague.

During his welcome address, Daniel Gauthier, Member of the Managing Board of HeidelbergCement, stated: “The Quarry Life Award has generated great enthusiasm among researchers, students, environmental associations, and our own employees. The competition and research projects allow HeidelbergCement to improve its biodiversity management practices as well as share best practice examples with the public. The competition clearly augments our collective knowledge about the biological value of mineral extraction sites.”

Nearly 400 project proposals from 22 countries entered the awards and 95 were subsequently selected across the five different categories of the competition: ‘Biodiversity and Education’; ‘Innovation and Biodiversity’; ‘Biodiversity Enhancement’; ‘Raising Public Awareness’; ‘Student Project’. The best project in each category received €10 000 and the Grand Prize winner was presented with a cheque for €30 000. The latter went to Poland’s NATRIX Herpetological Association, which conducted a comprehensive inventory of reptiles and amphibians at the Górazdze limestone quarry.

“This project embodies what the Quarry Life Award is all about. It touched on all aspects of biodiversity enhancement, innovation, stakeholder engagement and raising public awareness. The project is well focused. The fieldwork was perfectly carried out with good recommendations that management can easily follow,” Daniel Gauthier told the winning team.

The international jury included Daniel Gauthier, Member of the Managing Board; Richard Grimmett, Director for Conservation at BirdLife International; Erasto Mark Njavike, Program Manager at Jane Goodall’s Roots & Shoots in Tanzania; Dr Michael Rademacher, Biodiversity and Natural Resources Director at HeidelbergCement; Dr Ulrich Tränkle, Director of AGLN, a consultancy for landscape planning and nature conservation management.

QLA 2014 international winners

The Grand Prize: ‘A comprehensive inventory of herpetofauna at the Górazdze limestone quarry’ by Edyta Turniak, NATRIX Herpetological Association, Poland.

Winner in the ‘Raising Public Awareness’ category: ‘Community engagement framework’ by Sophie Malkin, Australia.

Winners in the ‘Biodiversity Enhancement’ category: ‘Research of the biodiversity at the Tovacov lakes’ by Jan Ševcík, Czech Republic; ‘The feasibility of biodiversity enhancements in woodland ground flora around Whatley Quarry’ by David Watson, Bath Spa University, UK.

Winner in the ‘Innovation and Biodiversity’ category: ‘The use of vermicompost as treatment for topsoil to restore biodiversity’ by Kwasi Boadu Ntiamoah, Ghana.

Winner in the ‘Biodiversity and Education’ category: ‘Youth view at quarry nature’ by Tatiana Trofimova, Russia.

Winner in the ‘Student Project’ category: ‘Design and development of suitable spawning grounds for the protection of native amphibians’ by Jürgen Reusch, Jessen Grammar School, Germany.

Detailed information about the project winners, finalists and participating projects for both the national and international elements of the competition can be found at www.quarrylifeaward.com.

Adapted from press release by Louise Fordham

Read the article online at: https://www.worldcement.com/europe-cis/10122014/international-quarry-life-award-2014-winners-revealed-994/