1000 trees planted in latest part of restoration project on Fife coast

Students from the University of St Andrews joined members of the community and Abbeyford Leisure teams on a mission to create a 370m woodland corridor at St Andrews Holiday Park, planting over 1000 trees

The initiative is part of a partnership taking place over the next 15 months to restore habitat at 30 sites along 16km of coastline around St Andrews, from Leuchars to Kingsbarns. It has been made possible by organisations including Fife Council, Abbeyford Leisure, Kinkell Byre, Cambo Estate, Forest & Land Scotland, Fairmont Hotel, St Andrews Botanic Garden, local farmers and estate managers. The university is leading the ambitious programme which aims to improve the quality and connectivity of habitat in the area.

The aim is to create a vibrant mix of fruiting and flowering hawthorn, crab apple, hazel, cherry and rowan, offering nectar and pollen for pollinators, berries and nesting space for birds, and important connectivity for hedgehogs and other wildlife. It will also create an attractive green periphery to the west of the holiday park

Activities include planting of woodland and hedgerows, creation of wetland and meadows, restoring dunes, and introducing conservation grazing to manage coastal grassland.

Geoff Little, St Andrews Holiday Park general manager, said: “We take our environmental responsibilities seriously and are delighted to be part of such an important initiative which will benefit not only natural habitats but will also have a positive impact on local residents and visitors for generations.”

Johanna Willi, ecological projects from University of St Andrews added: We were delighted to kick start this exciting collaborative project. Projects like this demonstrate how much we can achieve when we come together. Land managers as well as local people are making a contribution, and collectively it will make a real difference for nature. We'd like to thank everyone who is making this ambitious project possible."

The Nature Restoration Fund helps to restore species and habitats, protect our marine and coastal areas, and eradicate invasive, non-native species, as well as improving the health and well-being of local communities.

Professor Colin Galbraith, NatureScot chair, said: “Now more than ever, we need nature-based solutions to the climate-nature crises. It’s projects like this that can really help to stop biodiversity loss and enable us to move towards a nature-rich, net-zero future for everyone in Scotland.”