Every Sunday, a group of students from the University of Edinburgh visit different parks or community green spaces in Edinburgh and the greater Lothian area. These students are part of the Dirty Weekenders. This week, The Student spoke to the Dirty Weekenders’ President, Isabella Gastel Alejandre, a fourth-year maths student, to learn more about her society and understand what Dirties do to support conservation efforts within Edinburgh.
Dirties meet every Sunday at 10 AM at Pleasance to do a different form of gardening or conservation project. Isabella explained the range of work that the society does, ranging from removing “rhododendron, an invasive species in Scotland” to “planting trees and painting fences.” Effectively, Dirties will do “whatever the place needs [them] to,” with this being a great benefit to the local community, as “having and maintaining these green spaces is really important.”
The Dirty Weekenders were founded in 1991 by Andy Jefferies, and throughout their history, they have established many connections. Isabella and the rest of her society have used these connections to allow their members to work on many different projects; for example, they work with groups ranging from local councils, community gardens, nature reserves to the university itself.
This diversity in projects is one of the greatest attractions to the society, as you get to explore so much more of Edinburgh. Isabella described it as a “surprising benefit,” as most students tend to stay in “central areas of Edinburgh.” However, the Dirty Weekenders will bring you to the “outskirts of Edinburgh and… meet a community that [students] don’t have access to.” She continued to say that “it’s grounding and it makes you feel like a part of Edinburgh, which is really nice,” especially since you “meet and work with people who are definitely not from our generation because most of the volunteers we work with are older people.”
When asked how prospective students can get involved with the Dirty Weekenders, Isabella explained how easy it is: “You just show up and it’s completely free – you get free lunch and we pay for your travel.” You can receive updates from either their Instagram (@edinburghdirtyweekenders), newsletter, or group chat. Isabella also wanted to clarify that the society is not catered towards any one degree or type of student and that “it’s always nice to have newcomers.”
With regards to fostering a community, Dirties offer many events and socials throughout the year. The highlight of the year is always the eco-ceilidh that will occur next semester and the society collaborates with many other groups, such as FungiSoc and Hearty Squirrel, to host regular events. These events can range from their own successful Halloween potluck to their upcoming Bonfire Night social with FungiSoc, Hearty Squirrel and Foraging Society.
Finally, when asked what role the Dirty Weekenders has played within her university experience, Isabella said it was probably “the most important part of [her] structured life” and the society had been “core to [her].” With its powerful sense of community leading to strong friendships, it has brought together people who were “supportive, environmentalists, and enjoyed being outdoors” to do volunteer work protecting green spaces within Edinburgh.
Illustration via Ava Tallon