Conserving Nature Together at Mountsorrel Quarry

Tarmac’s commitment to environmental education and community involvement has taken an important step forward through a new five‑year partnership with The Conservation Volunteers (TCV). The collaboration brings local people, skilled volunteers and Tarmac colleagues together to support hands‑on conservation across the restored landscapes of Mountsorrel Quarry, helping people learn about nature while

This partnership forms part of Tarmac’s wider approach to being an active member of the communities in which we operate, providing meaningful ways for people to gain hands‑on environmental experience while contributing to the long‑term health of local landscapes.

About The Conservation Volunteers

TCV has a long history of enabling people to protect and enhance the natural world. Established in 1959 as the Conservation Corps, the organisation was originally supported by the Council for Nature and gained early national visibility through the involvement of figures such as HRH The Duke of Edinburgh and Sir David Attenborough.

Over time, TCV evolved into an independent organisation with a focus on delivering impactful projects, empowering communities and offering environmental training opportunities. Today, it continues to engage diverse groups in conservation work that brings long‑lasting benefits to people and nature alike.

Working Together at Mountsorrel

Tarmac’s partnership with TCV began in 2024, with volunteers supporting ongoing restoration work at Mountsorrel Quarry. In its first year, the partnership delivered ten days of hands‑on working parties focused on maintaining and improving restored habitats.

Building on this, 2025 saw a further fourteen days of conservation activity across areas such as Broad Hill and Kinchley Lane. Volunteers supported essential tasks including removing old tree guards and tackling invasive species like Buddleia to protect and enhance the grass heathland.

Clive Forty, Senior Project Officer at TCV, shared his reflections:

“We are really pleased to form a working partnership with Tarmac at Mountsorrel Quarry helping maintain and establish the biodiversity around the quarry. Our practical conservation volunteers are working to help control scrub encroachment on Broad Hill. We aim to repurpose all material cuttings into dead hedge habitat corridors, further increasing habitat diversity.”

These activities support both immediate ecological needs and long‑term habitat resilience, ensuring restored areas remain vibrant spaces for wildlife and for the communities who enjoy them.

Local Collaboration in Action

The partnership has also strengthened relationships between Tarmac and the surrounding community. By involving volunteers directly in restoration activities, the
programme helps people develop new skills, gain confidence and build a deeper connection with the local environment.

Aaron Laycock, Quarry Manager at Mountsorrel

The end of March 2025 marked the completion of the second year of TCV’s restoration work at the quarry, reflecting a growing shared commitment to habitat improvement and community‑led conservation.

Part of a Wider Conservation Network

This partnership is one of forty conservation collaborations Tarmac supports across the country. Together with local organisations, wildlife groups and community partners, these efforts are helping to enhance biodiversity, restore land and create accessible opportunities for people to experience and care for nature.

Looking Ahead

As the partnership with TCV continues, Tarmac will keep working alongside volunteers and community groups to strengthen biodiversity at Mountsorrel Quarry and beyond. The shared commitment to conservation, skills development and community involvement will help build a lasting legacy for people and wildlife for many years to come