Biology students awarded in research competition
Biology students Marcus Hall, Sandra Nilsson and Emma Svahn at Linnaeus University have been given a big international award for a student project they have carried out in collaboration with the concrete company Cementa at the company’s quarry in Degerhamn on Öland. The award is handed out through HeidelbergCement’s research competition Quarry Life Award.
The students were awarded 10,000 Euros in the category "The Best Biodiversity Management Project". They earlier took part in and won the regional final and 6,000 Euros in Stockholm.
"It feels really great that our work receives this much attention and it has definitely given us all a great boost for the future", says the awarded students.
They have not yet decided what to do with the money, but Marcus is thinking about buying himself a small boat, and Emma and Sandra also think that they deserve to spoil themselves a bit.
Börje Ekstam, who has been their supervisor at Linnaeus University, is very proud of the work his students have done.
"All of us working with first-cycle education in biology at the university are, of course, very happy to see that our students have developed the level of skills and knowledge required to receive such a fine award", says Börje Ekstam.
About the student project
The aim of the student project is to strengthen the biological diversity at the sites where Cementa quarries raw material for cement and concrete manufacturing. The students have studied how man-made wetlands in an open-pit environment can be positive for both plants and animals while at the same time also cleaning the water from particles that come from the limestone production. The results will be used as a model for how to shape Cementa's wetlands. It will also be possible for other companies that want to construct a wetland to use their results as a template.