THE FIRM behind a quarry in Cornwall has launched a competition to improve biodiversity at their site.

A number of cash prizes are available ranging up to the top prize of £250,000.

Heidelberg Materials’ Hingston Down quarry, in Cornwall, is opening its doors to participants in the sixth round of the Quarry Life Award, its biodiversity research competition. Participants from more than 15 countries worldwide can pitch their project ideas for sustainable quarry management and compete for prizes totalling €300,000 (approx. £250,000).

The Quarry Life Award was first established in 2011 to support and increase biodiversity at quarry sites, strengthen communication channels with neighbours and educate and raise awareness about the importance of nature and habitats. The award has since received more than 1,500 submissions and has generated over 450 innovative project ideas to promote and protect biodiversity.

Mike Brown, area operations manager, said: “The protection and enhancement of biodiversity is at the core of our sustainability strategy, so our aim is to encourage projects that can support the work we are already doing to improve biodiversity and the quality of restoration at our sites.

“The Quarry Life Award aligns with our 2030 commitment to build a nature positive future and, by increasing dialogue with academics, NGOs and our local communities, is helping to inform the development of biodiversity action plans at all our sites.”

UK entries will also be eligible for the international stage of the competition, with prizes awarded in the following categories: biodiversity management, habitat and species, beyond quarry borders, biodiversity and education, connecting quarries and communities, and nature-based solutions. The best projects in each of the six categories will be rewarded with a prize of €10,000 (approx. £8,400) each. The best project overall will receive no less than €30,000 (approx. £25,300) in total.

Proposals, based at Hingston Down quarry, are invited to be submitted on the Quarry Life Award website by November 8 2024. A panel of experts will then select six of the proposals to become projects to be carried out between January and September 2025.