St Andrews Nature Networks Project Wins National Green Gown Award

The University of St Andrews’ Nature Networks project has won the top prize in the Nature Positive category at the 2025 UK & Ireland Green Gown Awards, held in Birmingham on 6 November. The annual awards, delivered by the Environmental Association of Colleges and Universities in partnership with UK Research and Innovation, recognise outstanding sustainability initiatives across the higher and further education sector. 

This year’s competition saw 112 shortlisted projects representing 76 institutions across fourteen categories.

The University’s Nature Networks initiative is a large-scale ecological restoration project that has created, restored, and connected more than sixteen kilometres of habitat along the Fife coastline from Guardbridge to Kingsbarns. The work has been led by the University in partnership with 27 landowners, estates, farms, businesses, and conservation bodies.

Over the span of fifteen months, the project delivered two new wetland mosaics at the North Haugh and the Observatory, planted more than 2,400 metres of native hedgerow, established 4.78 hectares of woodland and 6,610 square metres of species-rich meadow, and restored a former saline lagoon at the Motray reservoir. The initiative also introduced a herd of Highland cows to undertake conservation grazing across 13.78 hectares of neglected Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) grassland, managed in collaboration with Rewilding Kinkell. 

In total, 408 students, staff, and local residents participated in 38 practical conservation sessions ranging from tree and hedge planting to wildflower sowing and wetland maintenance. 

Speaking to The Saint, Johanna Willi, the University’s Biodiversity Projects Manager, said that the most significant achievement of Nature Networks was “the collaborations and long-term working relationships built up with land managers to enable such an ambitious, landscape-scale project to take place.”

“We can achieve so much more for nature by working together,” she added. “Many land managers have mutual objectives to protect and enhance biodiversity, so it makes sense to work in partnership to get more bang for our buck.”

The initiative forms a key part of the University’s wider sustainability strategy, which includes its objective to increase biodiversity across University-managed land. “The project contributes to the University’s commitment to managing land more sustainably and addressing both the climate and nature emergencies,” said Willi. “There is also an aim for 60% of University-managed land to be biodiversity positive by 2035.” 

Delivering habitat restoration across such a large connected corridor presented challenges, particularly regarding negotiations, internal and external permissions, and the logistics of major land-use change. Willi highlighted that the wetland mosaics were especially complex, requiring planning permission, flood risk assessments, approval from the Ministry of Defence, and careful avoidance of underground utilities. 

Despite these challenges, she emphasised that partnership was fundamental to the project’s success. “We worked with ten land managers, including farmers, estates, businesses, and the local authority, to create new habitats along a sixteen-kilometre length of land,” she stated. “A ‘nature network’ approach is vital for biodiversity in our fragmented, human-altered landscape. It enables wildlife — from bumblebees to red squirrels — to find enough food, breed successfully, and avoid threats.”

The recognition at the Green Gown Awards reflected statements made by Principal and Vice-Chancellor Professor Dame Sally Mapstone, who described the win as reflecting “the ambition and care behind our work to restore and connect habitats,” and as demonstrating the power of  “students, staff, and neighbours coming together to deliver nature-positive change.”

Looking ahead, each partner site will take responsibility for maintaining its own new habitats, while the University will continue to monitor the areas it manages. Willi also said that there is a ten-year commitment to funders to ensure habitats are cared for, and that the University Grounds team will play a central role as the spaces mature, with plans to invest in upskilling staff and equipment. 

Students will remain involved through ongoing volunteering, tree care, meadow management, and monitoring. Willi expressed particular gratitude to those who had already contributed. “Please do extend a big thank you to all of the student volunteers who took part in the project,” she said. “We are very grateful to the students who helped with tree planting, hedge planting, seed sowing, and even weeding our new wetland mosaics.”

The University's Biodiversity Group — which brings together staff, students, and external partners — will continue to guide long-term strategy for improving biodiversity across University land. The project was supported by the Scottish Government’s Nature Restoration Fund, managed by NatureScot.

Photo provided by the University of St Andrews