St Andrews Nature Networks project wins 2025 Green Gown Award
The University scooped a Green Gown Award for the Nature Networks project under the Nature Positive category in the 2025 UK & Ireland Green Gown Awards, held in Birmingham this week (Thursday 6 November).
Delivered by the The Environmental Association of Colleges and Universities (EAUC) in partnership with UKRI – UK Research and Innovation, the Green Gown Awards are the flagship sustainability awards for higher and further education institutions, recognising outstanding environmental practice across multiple categories. This year’s shortlist consisted of 112 sustainability initiatives from 76 institutions across 14 categories.
The University’s St Andrews Nature Networks project won in the Nature Positive category. This ambitious, collaborative project created, restored and connected habitat at a landscape scale along 16km of the Fife coastline, from Guardbridge to Kingsbarns.
A partnership of land managers contributed 27 sites to help improve the quality and connectivity of habitats in the area. Project partners included Fife Council, Abbeyford Leisure, Kinkell Byre / Rewilding Kinkell, Kincaple Farm, Cambo Estate, Forestry and Land Scotland, Fairmont Hotel, St Andrews Botanic Garden and St Andrews Harbour Trust. The University led the programme and created vibrant new habitats across its estate for the benefit of both biodiversity and people.
Achievements included:
- Two wetland mosaics at North Haugh and the Observatory
- 2,413m of native hedgerow
- 4.78ha of native woodland
- 6,610m² of meadow
- Restoration of a saline lagoon at the decommissioned Motray reservoir
- Establishing a herd of Highland cows to bring 13.78ha of neglected Site of Special Scientific Interest into conservation grazing, supported day-to-day by Kinkell Byre and Rewilding Kinkell
Across 15 months, 408 people engaged in 38 practical conservation volunteering sessions and training opportunities, including students, staff and local residents.
Professor Dame Sally Mapstone, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of St Andrews, said: “This recognition reflects the ambition and care behind our work to restore and connect habitats. It speaks to the power of partnership – students, staff, and neighbours coming together – to deliver nature-positive change, protecting biodiversity and shaping a resilient landscape for generations to come.”
The project contributes to the University’s commitment to managing land more sustainably and addressing both the climate and nature emergencies. Rich, biodiverse greenspaces also provide significant benefits for wellbeing, recreation, climate adaptation and essential ecosystem services such as flood alleviation, pollution filtration and carbon sequestration.
The University remains committed to being Sustainability Positive and will continue to improve its estate through delivery of its Biodiversity Action Plan, led by a Biodiversity Working Group made up of staff, students and partners.
The grounds team will play a pivotal role in managing these spaces as they establish, while students will have opportunities to engage through monitoring, planning, and volunteering with the Estates, Environment and Transition teams. Learn more about how you can get involved here.
The University is grateful to all our project partners for their commitment, as well as the Scottish Government’s Nature Restoration Fund, managed by NatureScot, for their support.
You can view the winning project video here.