New funding will push quarry rehabilitation in the UK

A multi-million pound project has been announced in the UK, focusing on turning quarries into wildlife havens. The Restore project, financed by the EU’s Interreg IVB North West Europe fund, will spend £3.3 million on turning spent mineral extraction sites into havens for nature, as reedbeds, meadows, woodlands and heathland.

Already, UK sites have reported a variety of species, including insects, crayfish, otters and bitterns, which are thriving in newly-created habitats in spent quarries. This funding will allow such projects to be taken even further.

A recent report entitled The State of Nature revealed that 60% of UK species are in decline, with loss of natural habitat recorded as one of the biggest causes.“The State of Nature report was a wake-up call for all of us that we need to do more for wildlife, and quarry restoration can really help us do that. In recent years the mineral industry and conservationists have forged a vital link and we have seen some truly inspiring work happen as a result,” said Martin Harper, RSPB Conservation Director. “I want to say thanks to the minerals industry for all they have done for our wildlife so far – and I want to challenge them to go even further so we can turn even more of these sites around.”

Nigel Jackson, Chief Executive of the Mineral Products Association added, “Together, we can help reverse the decline in biodiversity by creating priority habitat and providing vital footholds for endangered species. The minerals industry is in a unique position to be able to make a difference.”

The Restore project will be officially launched on 25 September at the Institute for Materials, Minerals & Mining in London.

Adapted from press release by Katherine Guenioui

Read the article online at: https://www.worldcement.com/europe-cis/15082013/restore_fund_will_create_wildlife_havens_112/