With the teams three months into their research period, this year’s 94 projects are making significant progress in their aim to enhance biodiversity management in the mineral extraction industry.
The International Jury members, who have been following the projects via the project pages on the QLA website, are now making their visits to each competition to see the projects in person and listen to presentations from the teams on how their work is going so far.
Dr Erasmus Owusu of the University of Ghana has visited Togo where all five teams presented their objectives, methods and progress to Dr Owusu and the Togolese national jury. Dr Owusu gave individual recommendations for the remaining research months and insisted on the importance of publishing results, communicating progress and posting pictures on the project pages.
Dr Carolyn Jewell has been busy visiting the projects in Northern Europe, Benelux and the Czech Republic. Speaking about her visits, Carolyn enthusiastically said, “It’s a really great to have the opportunity to talk to the researchers in person having read their initial proposals and then followed their progress on their blogs. I’ve enjoyed further discussing new ideas and how the teams have found working on the HeidelbergCement sites. I am now looking forward to following up on the projects I have seen in person, as well as visiting the others in competition.”
The International Jury will select those projects deserving of international recognition for their innovative work in biodiversity management and promotion. The winners will be announced in December, after the national juries select the winners for each national competition.
