After much deliberation by the national juries, the results of the national contests are now in...

Congratulations to all 94 projects that took part in this year’s Quarry Life Award – the quality of scientific research and awareness raising has never been higher!

The Quarry Life Award 2016 national winners by contest:

Australia

1st Prize: Enhancing biodiversity and habitat suitability at the Kables Sands Plant for native amphibians

2nd Prize: Using an alternative method to assess the species diversity of rehabilitated sites

3rd Prize: Predator playground; the role of quarries in the lives of wild dogs 

Benelux

1st Prize: Naturally … Art! An educational art project based on the environment at ENCI quarry Maastricht

2nd Prize: Land and freshwater snails: a too poorly known fauna of the quarries

3rd Prize: Nature and quarry

Bosnia & Herzegovina

1st Prize: Macrozoobenthos as Biodiversity and Habitat Quality Indicator of Quarry Ribnica's Hydroecosystems 

2nd Prize: Mapping Types of Habitats at the Ribnica Quarry Using Contemporary Methods in Ecology

3rd Prize: Caution is the mother of wisdom

Congo

1st Prize: The preservation of endangered animal species and medicinal plant reserves in the C45 Quarry

2nd Prize: The ichtyological biodiversity and the condition factor of fish species of C-45 Quarry

3rd Prize: Phytosociological studies of different plant communities in the C45 Quarry

Czech Republic

1st Prize: Quarry exploration trail

2nd Prize: Gravel pit Hulín: towards harmony among diverse interests

3rd Prize: Experiment in biodiversity management of Quarry Mokra: Innovative approaches in ecological restoration

Germany

1st Prize: Great impact with little effort – optimization of reptile habitats by using existing materials

2nd Prize: Nature only works if we do it together - Students “understand” the insect and plant diversity

3rd Prize: Quarry biodiversity in focus – exploring the barcode of life

Ghana

1st Prize: Determing the best soil enrichment method for reclamation using ANOVA  technique

2nd Prize: Impacts of quarry dust on water resources and effects on biodiversity, the Odonata assessment

3rd Prize: Geospatial assessment of biodiversity transformations in and around the Yongwa quarry site

Indonesia

1st Prize: Exploring Calotropis gigantea’s potential as a cost-effective ameliorant in clay pit rehabilitation

2nd Prize: Determining High Adaptability Tree Species in Former Quarry Hambalang

Joint 3rd: Study of Arthropod and Earthworm Diversity as a Bioindicator for Reclamation Success; i-Drive: a Quick, Simple, and Inexpensive Method to Design a Recommendation of Reclamation on Former Limestone Quarry; Rehabilitation of Ex-Mining Area with Phytoremediation Plants and Biofertilizer Application

Kazakhstan

1st Prize: Usage of the Complex Method of Soil Enrichment

2nd Prize: Creation of enriched ecosystem and biodiversity conservation awareness

3rd Prize: Studying the role of arbuscular mycorrhiza in the formation of plant communities in quarries

Northern Europe

1st Prize: Optimizing wetland functions to local conditions in connection to quarries 

2nd Prize: Strategic Restoration Guidelines for Sustainable Development at Quarry Sites 

3rd Prize: Post-industrial biotopes re-imagined, a design proposal for Löten quarry, Sweden 

4th Prize: Increasing biodiversity in Aru-Lõuna limestone quarry by reclamation

Poland

1st Prize: The active protection of the bees together with 3 D - nature visualization of the “Górażdże” limestone Quarry

2nd Prize: Measures to optimize the habitat conditions within the KSM Nowogród Bobrzański

3rd Prize: Trees as a key element in the shaping of landscape and biodiversity of post-mining areas

Romania

1st Prize: Biodiversity research & raising awareness – keys for landscape and biodiversity reconstruction

2nd Prize: One Landscape, Two Stories: People and Birds

3rd Prize: Diversity, distribution, ecology of the plant communities and habitats in the Bicaz Chei quarry

Russia

1st Prize: Biodiversity in space and time

2nd Prize: DNA barcoding in algae is a first stage of the research of the quarry biodiversity and monitoring

3rd Prize: Vertebrates in Pechurki: the current state of the fauna and the prospects for its settling in the quarry

Spain

1st Prize: Stepping ponds: enhancement of connectivity for amphibians in riverside gravel pits

2nd Prize: Writing off the problem. How does extraction of aggregate finish in beautiful landscapes?

3rd Prize: Linking quarries and their surroundings by restoration ecology for aquatic mammals

Tanzania

1st Prize: Educational, Innovative and Entertaining Biodiversity Quarry Tour

2nd Prize: Ecological Modelling of Species Richness for measuring restoration success in Wazo Hill Quarry 

3rd Prize: Analyzing the role of earthworms to improve soil drainage and biodiversity at Wazo Hill Quarry

Togo

1st Prize: Wastes-soils-plants-animals: a cooperation to boost Sika-Kondji career biodiversity

2nd Prize: Impact of sustainable land management on biodiversity through agroforestry

3rd Prize: Creation of a park and installation of an integrated verge associated with apiculture in a quarry

Turkey

1st Prize: Naked rock field rehabilitation by using mutualistic life systems

2nd Prize: From quarry to lap of nature

3rd Prize: Phytoremediation of the Bozalan Quarry

Ukraine

1st Prize: Increase of ornithovariety of Rybalsky Quarry

2nd Prize: Composing a jigsaw puzzle: a sustainable ecosystem in the place of a former quarry

3rd Prize: Youth Cognitive Tourism in the used quarries/Educational tourism for youth

UK

1st Prize: Impacts of grassland restoration on availability of bat prey

2nd Prize: The invertebrate biodiversity importance of bare ground habitat in Misson sand & gravel quarry

Joint 3rd: An investigation of restored soil health at Ketton to improve ecosystem services; Biodiversity restoration - can drones provide an accurate, efficient and safe survey method?