Restored sand and gravel quarry becomes top eco-friendly attraction

The Attenborough Nature Reserve is a restored sand and gravel quarry providing a habitat for plant and animal species and a location for outdoor leisure activities in the United Kingdom. It is owned by CEMEX and jointly managed with the Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust, with support from Broxtowe Borough Council. In 2006, the BBC Wildlife Magazine included this site as one of the world's top ten eco-destinations for wildlife travel.

The site is used for bird watching, angling, sailing, and walking. It covers 365 hectares and has attracted over 250 species of birds. In 2005, we opened a visitors' center at the reserve to provide educational programs, displays, refreshments, and conference rooms. In the first week of opening, it attracted over 4,000 visitors.

CEMEX won the Cooper Heyman Cup at the UK Quarry Products Association Restoration Awards for our restoration work at this site. The Quarry Products Association is a trade association covering 90% of UK quarrying companies. Over the years, volunteers have played an important role in recording the wildlife and carrying out conservation work, which has made this reserve the wonderfully wildlife-rich site that it is today.