Eden Campus Miniature Forest

The Eden Campus is the University of St Andrews’ innovation centre, designed to help shape a sustainable future. It is located in Guardbridge, four miles west of St Andrews.

The Eden Campus Miniature Forest has an elevated position alongside the Eden Estuary. A paved wheelchair accessible path ramps slowly from the North.
The Eden Campus Miniature Forest sits alongside the Eden Estuary.

  • Location: The Eden Campus, Guardbridge, Fife
  • Trees: c. 6,000 mixed native deciduous trees.
  • Planting date: March 2022.
  • Map: Google Maps, ///picnic.objective.guru
  • The forest was created as part of the Meadows in the Making project
  • Open to the community, and frequently used for walking and birdwatching

The woodland design, which fits within the Eden Campus Biodiversity Plan, incorporates:

  • Several zones of woodland planting.
  • Open space, for grass and wildflowers, creating habitat for pollinators.
  • An anti-startle zone along the seawall ridge, to reduce disruption to birds feeding or nesting in the area below.
  • A path that loops through the site, with benches to stop and take in the views over the Eden Estuary.

Planting

The design of the woodland has three different densities: 2m centres, 1m centres, and 4 trees/m2. The later density was inspired by Miyawaki miniature forests.

The planned species were:

  • Downy birch (Betula pubescens)
  • Goat willow (Salix caprea)
  • Hazel (Corylus avellana)
  • Crab apple (Malus sylvestrix)
  • Holly (Ilex aquifolium)
  • Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna)
  • Alder (Alnus glutinosa)
  • Rowan (Sorbus aucuparia)
  • Silver birch (Betula pendula)
  • Field Maple (Acer campestre)
  • Wild cherry (Prunus avium)
  • Grey willow (Salix cinerea subsp. oleifolia)
  • Oaks (Quercus robur, Q. petraea)

The planting areas include an Oak grove, and a section of flowering trees that form part of The Queen’s Green Canopy, commemorating the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

Research and Teaching

The woodland design supports compare and contrast research, and has been used to support undergraduate dissertation work.

Volunteers and Credits

We gratefully acknowledge the efforts of:

  • Staff and students of the University of St Andrews and Transition St Andrews.
  • Residents of Guardbridge.
  • Staff and students of Guardbridge Primary School.
  • Students of SRUC Elmwood College, led by V. Pendry.
  • Guardbridge Community Gardening Group, led by H. Simmons.
  • The teams at T&N Gilmartin, Headon Developments, and the Paul Hogarth Company.

This project would not have been possible without the support of NatureScot’s Biodiversity Challenge Fund (Meadows in the Making).

Cookie preferences