People in St Andrews have come together in a bid to protect nature locally – but not everyone is rooting for more wildflowers.
A group of students and others locals marched through the town to call for further commitment to nature in Fife.
With posters reading “fight 4 nature” and “protect our wildlife”, the crowd marched animatedly from North Street to North Haugh.
The group’s aims include filling St Andrews’ road verges and grassy areas with wildflowers and encouraging locals to build bird, bat and hedgehog boxes in their gardens.
But some visitors believe the plan could leave the town “untidy, messy and unkempt”.
St Andrews student Nora Krogsgaard helped to organise the march.
She says they would like to see more variety of nature locally, also known as biodiversity.
“Biodiversity: if you split the world, bio is life, and diversity is just a different array of life,” Nora explains.
“We have a lot of dead space that isn’t being used, say on the side of roads.
“And I think anywhere we can squeeze in a little more nature will benefit us all.”
‘Let nature do its thing’ in St Andrews
In 2020, Fife Council asked residents whether they wanted to see grassy areas managed differently – a majority of 65% agreed.
Currently, Fife Council bosses now manage 10% of their ‘grasslands’ in way that encourages wildflower meadows. This is also known as rewilding.
They are considering pushing that to almost a third as organisations across the world do more to help bird, insect and animal species.
So what might change in St Andrews and across the Kingdom if the marchers get their way?
“St Andrews is a beautiful town,” Nora says.
“We’re not saying that we want to let Sallies Quad or St Mary’s Quad go wild…
“We also respect the history of the town. It is those so-called dead spaces that we would like to grow meadows in.
“We’ve taken so much from nature and I think it’s time for us to give back as well and let nature do its thing.”
Peony for your thoughts?
Councillor Jan Wincott is Fife Council’s spokesperson for environment and climate change.
“It’s great to see such enthusiasm for protecting biodiversity both here in Fife and across the world,” she says.
“Fife’s biodiversity plays a unique role in Fifer’s lives, contributing to our health, wellbeing, economy and how we respond to climate change.”
Councillor Wincott points to ongoing Fife projects like the River Restoration programmes and Community Tree Planting with Climate Action Fife.
Many people in St Andrews supported the marcher’s aims. But some were unhappy with the demonstrator’s demands .
Road to a ‘untidy, messy and unkempt’ St Andrews?
The flowers and grass in unmaintained areas can serve as food and shelter for small animals like hedgehogs, bats, birds, as well as amphibians and insects.
However, critics often dub rewilded areas as eyesores. They believe these less “neat” areas offer a poor first impression of a place.
Kay Matthews was visiting St Andrews with her partner during the march.
She says rewilding road verges could be a turn off for tourists visiting the seaside town.
“I’m not interested in that one jot,” says the 53-year-old, “there are more important things to be worrying about.
“That would just make the place look untidy, messy and unkempt.
“It would look overgrown and that would encourage littering.”
Conversation