In phase II IAMovement scaled former activities and explored new approaches that supported land regeneration. The overall effort resulted in 35 ‘quarry champs’ being enabled to work on the fight against land degradation, having assisted with 25+ Acres of quarried land enriched and/or rehabilitated. Other key accomplishments of the project included over 900 cubic meters of organic matter diverted from landfills and used for topsoil rebuilding; 20,000+ vetiver plants installed for erosion control and revegetation; and 1500+ trees replanted to support Land Degradation Neutrality. In this project we explored a variety of organic waste materials for use in vital topsoil rebuilding activities, which included sargassum seaweed, spent grain, rice straw, chipped Acacia wood as well as grass and tree cuttings.

Thanks to good guardianship of National Quarries Company Limited (NQ), the regenerated lands now have long-term stewardship with IAMovement, and its key continuity project and partner Close The Loop Caribbean. Increased biodiversity has been observed revisiting and returning to these areas. IWEco is a project that tells a story of tenacity, and a valuable truth which was unearthed through some of the academic research also undertaken on the project has stuck with us and carried forward into all subsequent quarry rehabilitation activities by IAMovement – which is that the most effective quarry rehabilitation approaches for severely degraded land should focus on improving soil health first.

Compost, organic mulch and sprinkle of good science were some of the secret ingredients to the success we experienced with this project. With this experience we know now that when life is returned to the soil in our severely degraded quarries, Life on Land can experience a burst of regeneration, and quarried lands can thrive again.