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Re-wilding and regenerating our quarry sites to create a home for nature.
Quarrying is a necessary part of our production process, but even so, when the quarry site is no longer in use, we take the time to rewild these sites into a home for nature, and we like to keep a close conservationist’s eye on who moves in!
For example, at our Hemingborough site, we work closely with the RSPB and Natural England, who regularly monitor the 127 different species of bird who’ve made a home on our former quarry ponds. Local ornithologists on behalf of the RSPB have already spotted Green Woodpeckers, Corn Buntings, Little Grebes, Red Kites, Meadow Pipits and Willow Warblers to name just a few of the species feeding, roosting, nesting and moving though the site. Our brick pits are also able to support the expansion of several key species in the area too. Already two pairs of Little Ringed Plover’s (of which there are only a handful of pairs in the wider York area) have bred in 2023 – a fantastic step in the preservation of the species.
This success isn’t without planning, preparation and investment. All our quarries have comprehensive restoration plans in place for when they’re no longer in use. Since 2008 we’ve planted an amazing 8,000 trees including Field Maple, Wild Cherry, Sessile Oak and Hawthorn to name just a few, in an effort to create diverse habitats. It’s not just trees we plant either, we also sow a variety of grasses and meadow flower mixes which we leave to grow wild and the overburden, which we strip from the site initially to access the clay we need, is reused when the quarry is restored.
We have recently installed Kestrel & Owl nest boxes at our Knottingley depot to provide much needed shelter for birds which have already found a home in our buildings on site. By providing them with specialist homes, we are able to provide a safe environment for them to grow and flourish. Further bird boxes have been placed around the perimeter hedging of our new A plant. Highlighting the importance of working with nature, and giving back. Plans are also in the works to install a Peregrine Falcon nest box on the top of our A plant, after sightings were made in the area.
In April 2025 we hosted an employee and family ‘Bug hotel’ event, where everyone was absolutely ‘buzzing’ to take part. Crafted from untreated wooden pallets, the team filled the 'minibeast mansions' with dry leaves, twigs, hollow stems, dead grass, pine cones and small logs. Then planted wildflower seeds in the planters at the top to attract pollinators. All efforts were made to help create a safe habitat for local insects and support the wider ecosystem, while also encouraging younger generations to respect and give back to the natural world.