UnEarth Magazine.

_{Writing by Alana Lester – Art by Ru Todd}

As they say, spring has officially SPRUNG (finally)! Days are getting longer, gardens are becoming more colourful, and wildlife (the student body included) is emerging from laying low over the winter. Mornings spent wrapping up in 7 layers in the pitch black and avoiding icy patches on our morning routes are now replaced with alarm clocks seeing the sun rise and deliberations on whether to bring a light jacket or to risk going without. 

As simple as the motions of the everyday, we can start including some considerations to welcome more biodiversity and wilderness into our lives… 

For those of you that are keen twitchers and wildlife watchers, you will already be clued-up on the things that spring has to offer. In case you’re a bit rusty or want to start getting more involved, here are some special species to look (and listen) out for and a few local St A spots to find them: 

Bird Hides:  

• Tentsmuir National Nature Reserve has four bird hides at Morton Lochs, so you can enjoy wildlife watching on the water and on the forest trails, too, with roe deer and red squirrels being some of the species making it their home. 

• Guardbridge has a hide on the Eden Estuary and hosts species like white-winged scoter and red-breasted merganser. If you’re a keen cycler or walker, there’s a 4-and-a-bit mile footpath from St Andrews to Guardbridge available to make a day of it. 

•  St Andrews Bay couldn’t be closer and offers twitching opportunities with plenty of waders including black-tailed godwit and grey plover. 

• If you have a car, 25 minutes down the A91 (or 42 minutes on the 65 and 42 buses) is the Scottish Deer Centre which is home to (we would hope) many deer species but also a falconry and some native mammals like red squirrels and the potentially soon-to-be reintroduced Eurasian Lynx. 

• The Bell Pettigrew Museum in the Bute building hosts a small but mighty selection of wildlife displays from fossils to a very funny Scottish wildcat… 

• A fun boat trip (so long as you don’t get sea-sick) to the Isle of May from Anstruther promises the chance to see pelicans and harbour seals. 

If you’re feeling like turning your hand to something DIY in your spare time, here are some ways to encourage biodiversity this spring: 

• Hanging a bird feeder is a simple and quick way to encourage wildlife near you. A fun method is by hanging a pinecone covered in peanut butter and bird seed, like this example. 

• Composting your food scraps can help reduce food waste and provide “bottom-up” sustenance to your local wildlife. Check out these tips to give it a go. 

• Planting native and diverse plants is a beautiful way to embrace wildlife and “seedbombs” are fun with an easy dispersal method to try. Pollen-heavy species like corn marigold and foxglove are especially helpful for lending a helping hand to pollinators this spring. 

For some up-coming community biodiversity events, why not check out: 

• Tree planting and other volunteering opportunities with University of St Andrews’ Biodiversity Working Group – be sure to wear clothes you don’t mind getting dirty! 

• St Andrews Botanic Garden “Big Spring Bash” on Sunday 3^rd of May promises to be a fun day out with garden tours, food vendors, live music, and more. Be sure to explore in your own time the 18 acres the garden has to offer, free of charge entry for students, too! 

• A wide variety of community volunteering locations are available through NatureScot and keep an eye on the Fife Climate Hub for upcoming events to get involved with near you. 

In case you’re still seeking the creature comforts of the great indoors: 

Wherever your interest may lie, this list is all but exhaustive but hopefully offers some inspiration this spring. Change develops gradually with small steps, and if you’re not quite ready to put plans into action, just considering some biodiversity-forward options is change enough. Wishing you luck and sunshine this semester!