The Floodplain Meadows Partnership in conjunction with the Thames Valley Environmental Records Centre have recently produced a paper on restoring minerals sites to floodplain meadows. Currently, there are very few examples of species-rich floodplain meadow being created on extraction sites. However, Nature After Minerals and the Floodplain Meadows Partnership are interested in exploring the potential for more restorations of this kind, so if you know of a site that you think might be suitable, please do get in touch. The restoration paper is the fourth case study down on the Floodplain Meadows Partnership website page shown here.
Buglife have produced an excellent guide to managing aggregate sites for invertebrates, and continue to expand their work in this area. The best practice guide can be downloaded from the Buglife website, which also contains additional useful information.
Pond Conservation have produced a toolkit for pond creation on aggregate sites, which tells you all you need to know about creating ponds for a range of wildlife. Find out more about the toolkit on the Pond Conservation website.
The Post-Mining Alliance aims to promote good practice in post-mining regeneration by becoming a centre of excellence and repository of knowledge on post-mining regeneration projects. Visit the Post-Mining Alliance website for more details.
MineralsUK is the British Geological Survey's Centre for Sustainable Mineral Development. This website will give you a wealth of information on mineral resources, mineral planning, policy and legislation, sustainable development, statistics and exploration. Visit the MineralsUK website for more details.
The Cotswold Water Park Society is an environmental charity working to improve all 40 square miles of the Cotswold Water Park for people and wildlife. Visit the Cotswold Water Park Society website for more details.
Goodquarry is designed for all who have an interest in the environment and quarrying. Each of the potential environmental impacts listed alongside is considered in detail, with particular focus on promoting good practice. Visit the Goodquarry website for more details.
The Lower Ure Conservation Trust (LUCT) aims to 'promote and improve the ecology of the River Ure in North Yorkshire and wherever possible to provide the opportunity for public appreciation where that does not conflict with primary conservation aims.' Visit the Lower Ure Conservation Trust website for more details.
Extracting the Best for Wildlife: A practical handbook for promoting biodiversity on mineral sites in West Sussex aims to help mineral site managers, landscapers, planners and operative staff look after the wildlife that they find on their sites, avoid breaches of the law and make the most of the biodiversity opportunities that mineral sites present, without unduly compromising working operations. It was produced in response to a need for guidelines identified during the production of a Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) for mineral sites in West Sussex. Visit the West Sussex County Council website to download a copy of the handbook.
The Minerals and Nature Conservation Forum is a working group comprising representatives from Natural England and the minerals industry, through the Quarry Products Association and the Silica and Moulding Sands Association. Visit the Minerals and Nature Conservation Forum website for more details.