UnEarth Magazine.

Words by the editors-in-chief, Rowan Hunter and Siobhan Henderson

Of all the student-run subcommittees at this university, the Environment Subcommittee is certainly one of the lesser known. UnEarth Magazine operates as part of this subcommittee, and since becoming editors, we have felt lucky to work with such a dedicated, lovely group of people who have a great vision for the university and its students. We know that the inner (and, frankly, outer) workings of the Subcom have been fairly obscure in the past, and this article aims to remedy that. So, what have we been up to so far this semester?

Elizabeth, environment officer and president of our subcommittee, has been focussed on deepening ties with other organisations. She has been working to strengthen our working relationship with local groups such as the Eco Hub and We Are Zest (the location of our climate cafés, to which you should come!), as well as national ones such as Fair-Trade Scotland and the Environmental Rights Centre for Scotland (ERCS). You will be hearing much more about at least one of these organisations in coming issues of the magazine, so stay tuned! Elizabeth has also been hard at work liaising with hall committees to try to improve day-to-day sustainability in university-run accommodations, advocating for students and the environment in Union staff meetings, and keeping committee operations organised and on-task (more difficult than it might seem).

On the subject of halls: Wilf, our accommodation, lifestyle, and wellbeing rep, has also been focussing on that facet of university life as of late. His goal is to maximise hall engagement in wide-reaching sustainable projects, such as the low energy use competition, as well as to reduce hall food waste through Spare Spoon. For those who don’t know, Spare Spoon collects leftover food from halls – think Too Good To Go – and uses it to prepare hot meals which students can eat for free. Wilf has encountered logistical barriers from the university this semester, causing him to be unable to run the program as usual, but we are hopeful that it will be back underway very soon. Alongside this, Wilf has been helping deliver events across the Environment Network, particularly those relating to lifestyle choices (such as litter picks). Keep your eyes out for Green Week, and also for the Green Film Festival in February/March 2027, in which the subcommittee will hopefully be involved!

Ruby, our biodiversity and environmental justice rep, started the semester strong by organizing the fabulous Sustainability Summit way back in orientation week. There was a fantastic turnout, both of participating organizations and of students, and it was a great way for people to find new ways to get involved while making the St Andrews environmental community feel even closer. Beyond that, Ruby has been working with students to explore how best to support biodiversity across the university; this includes mapping high biodiversity areas, identifying where improvements could help nature thrive, and sharing ideas to make our campus more biodiverse. She has also been advocating for students’ views with senior university staff to make sure we are well represented in the upcoming review of the university’s sustainability strategy, including highlighting the importance of biodiversity within this plan. In her own words, “I’m grateful to everyone across the university and wider community who’s been involved so far. If you’d like to take part in our biodiversity movement, please get in touch – rcc23@st-andrews.ac.uk!”

But the opportunities to get involved don’t stop there. Ing, our volunteer and community rep, has a very long list of things you could be doing! Her main project this semester has been working with Rory Fyre, leader of the Rewilding Kinkell project. Ing said: “Hearing about the incredible work he and his family have been doing at Kinkell Byre [just outside town, near Boarhills] has been genuinely amazing. I invited Rory to the Sustainability Summit and later to a talk at Climate Café, where he shared his plan for this year. It was also a great chance for us to discuss how we can get more students and local community members involved in rewilding efforts.” Ing recently organised an Introduction to Kinkell Day on Sunday, October 11th, in collaboration with the Highland Cow Society and Saint Sidequests, which was a lovely opportunity to reach a wider audience. The day out gave students a chance to visit the site, learn more about the project, meet the Highland cows, and find out how they can get involved. Her hope is that this event will encourage people to sign up for the volunteering opportunities available throughout the semester, including fixed-point photography to monitor landscape changes and bird surveys to track how wildlife interacts with the rewilding process. Ing told me that she has “really enjoyed finding student volunteers for Rewilding Kinkell this year” – maybe you would like to be next among them.

Last but not least, our events team, Heather and Casey, also have a lot in store for us. They have already organized some lovely events, such as our ‘meet the team’ social in week 1 and our collaboration with Yogi Soc in week 4, and have some bigger plans in the works. Mark your calendars: we will be having a craft night in week 8, then, very excitingly, a jazz night in collaboration with Bee Soc in week 9! Then, next semester, we will be hosting Green Week as well as the Green Careers Fair. Behind the scenes, Heather and Casey have been working with sustainability coordinator Amy Manvell to get more involved with Fair-Trade Scotland, as well as collaborating with Transition St Andrews on their formalwear drive and with the Mutual Aid Clinic VIP (Vertically Integrated Project). One of their goals is to increase our reach to a wider audience by putting on a variety of events, and if I were to editorialize, I would say that it has been a success thus far!

To stay up-to-date on all our events, volunteer opportunities, and announcements, start by following us on Instagram @standrewsenvironment (managed by our talented social media officer, Alix). Once you’re there, you should also join our mailing list at the link in our bio in order to receive lovely weekly emails from our incomparable secretary Phoebe. And, of course, keep reading the magazine! Send it to your friends! That way, none of you will miss a thing.