Nature After Minerals (NAM) is a partnership programme, led by the RSPB and supported by Natural England, the Mineral Products Association and the British Aggregates Association.

The programme came about as a result of a report produced by the RSPB in 2006, which highlighted the great opportunity for biodiversity gain through minerals restoration (Davies. A, Nature After Minerals: how mineral site restoration can benefit people and wildlife).

NAM looks to promote the strategic opportunities for delivering biodiversity through high quality habitat creation on mineral sites. The programme works with mineral planners, industry, statutory bodies, conservation organisations and local communities, to make substantial contributions to priority habitat creation and boost priority species populations, while providing richer places for people to enjoy.  See the Restoration, Minerals Planning and History pages for a further introduction to the programme.

The partnership has three main aims:

1. To advise on the delivery of priority habitat and enhance endangered species populations on mineral sites
2. To work with conservation, local authority and industry interests to achieve a strategic approach to restoration of priority habitats at a landscape scale
3. To raise awareness of the benefits that high-quality restoration on mineral sites can offer people and wildlife

The NAM Programme Manager‘s role involves driving forward new links with the industry and other conservation bodies; securing funding; disseminating best-practice to a range of stakeholders, as well as supporting fellow NAM team members. Based out of the RSPB national headquarters at Sandy, Bedfordshire, much of the programme manager’s time is spent out in the regions, visiting sites, with some time allocated to working out of the Mineral Products Association (MPA) Offices in London.

NAM’s Restoration Adviser provides site-based advice on restoration to mineral operators and other stakeholders and also works with a number of mineral planning authorities, helping inform restoration plans and policy during Mineral Plan formulation, across different regions of the UK. (This position is currently vacant.)

The role of the NAM Planning Adviser is to ensure that mineral planning authorities have really strong biodiversity and habitat creation policies in their Mineral Plans. Based at the RSPB Midlands office in Banbury, the planning adviser has a nation-wide role, working with Natural England  and RSPB colleagues, responding to Mineral Plan consultations and setting up meetings with key stakeholders.

NAM’s Events and Communications Officer plans and co-ordinates NAM’s messages to a wide variety of audiences, across an extensive range of media outlets. NAM also disseminates incidents of best-practice and imparts practical know-how through the running of workshops and events and/or conferences. The events and communications officer co-ordinates the running and organisation of such events.