Tiny Forest project set to aid nature recovery near Tytherington quarry

A project to aid nature recovery and mitigate the loss of ash trees near our Tytherington limestone quarry has been selected as one of just six schemes in the UK to participate in the fifth round of global biodiversity competition, the Quarry Life Award.

The global competition is run every three years by our parent company HeidelbergCement to raise the understanding of the biodiversity value of quarrying sites during and after extraction and share new best practices.

The project at Tytherington, where diseased ash trees need to be felled for safety reasons, is backed by environmental charity Earthwatch and has been entered into the community stream of the contest. It will assess two sites in the village for their suitability for hosting a Tiny Forest of these native trees to replicate a natural forest.

Its aim is to involve the community at all stages in the delivery of the 200m2 woodland – from information giving and consultation through to planning, design and tree planting – to enhance biodiversity and support nature recovery near the quarry.

The project is competing in the national round of the awards, which offers a top prize of £5,000 to the winner. If successful, it will be put forward into the international stage of the competition, where it will be up against projects from countries across the globe to try and claim the £26,000 prize for best overall project.

Jenna Roberts, unit manager at Tytherington, said: “This project is one of a handful in the UK to be selected for the 2022 Quarry Life Award. We are delighted that Tytherington is host to this exciting community scheme and look forward to seeing how it informs best practice in enhancing biodiversity and restoration.”

To find out more visit the Quarry Life Award website www.quarrylifeaward.co.uk