St Andrews Forest grows

The St Andrews Forest has grown with a further 620 trees planted thanks to staff, students and members of the community.

Local school children and residents were among those who came to help plant the native broadleaf mix of trees on land behind the University’s Sports Centre during COP26 in November.

Over three days, more than 170 people took up spades, including four school groups from the town’s Canongate and Lawhead Primary as well as the Wild Fife Babies mother and toddler group and members of the public.

University Principal Professor Sally Mapstone also joined staff from Estates (Environment, Transition and Grounds) as well as students and staff from Saints Sport to help plant the Sports Wood.

The creation of the woodland was part of the University’s Meadows in the Making project which will also see the creation of a woodland and hedgerows at the University’s Eden campus at Guardbridge.

The project, led by the University of St Andrews in partnership with St Andrews Botanic Garden, Fife Council, Fife Coast and Countryside Trust, and the Crail Community Partnership has already overseen the transformation of previously mown verges to wildflowers.

Johanna Willi, Ecological Projects Manager, said: “The project will see a transformational change in land management, increasing biodiversity and sustainability.

“New habitats such as meadows, woodland and hedgerows are creating rich, attractive places for people and wildlife to thrive.”

Meadows in the Making has two years of annual funding of £139,677 from NatureScot’s Biodiversity Challenge Fund.

Members of staff from the Sports Centre and some rising sports stars from the worlds of fencing, karate and water polo, as well as former Scotland rugby international, Scott Lawson (now Director of Rugby at the University), and Olympic rower, Alan Sinclair (now Director or Rowing at the University), contributed to the efforts in creating the wood.