A first for NAM at Dove Holes
New Nature After Minerals training course on calcareous grassland held at CEMEX limestone quarry
NATURE After Minerals (NAM) paid its first visit to CEMEX’s Dove Holes Quarry with one of its training courses in July. The course, ‘Calcareous grassland enhancement, creation and management’, was also a topic covered by the NAM programme for the first time and included gratefully-received expert input from colleagues within the RSPB and CEMEX.
The course proved so popular, it was run over two days with 30 minerals restoration stakeholders in attendance. Following an indoor morning session with presentations and technical advice from seasoned land-management practitioners and quarry managers, both days included a site visit to a neighbouring species-rich and SSSI-designated grassland to see what ‘good’ looks like.
A visit was also paid to an area of land adjacent to the quarry that CEMEX are restoring to priority calcareous grassland, as part of their partnership work with the RSPB, to help support a small population of rare twite and, ultimately, provide vital linkage and connectivity to neighbouring habitat.
The training course was the first in a small series of events being run by NAM in 2018. A training course on reed bed creation in September is already full but places remain for ‘Delivering biodiversity through minerals planning’ on 9 October at Stanwick Lakes, in Northamptonshire. Go to www.afterminerals.com for further information and details of how to book on the day.
