What Borders Forest Trust does

Borders Forest Trust is a Scottish charitable trust founded in 1996 and headquartered at Monteviot Nurseries, Ancrum, Jedburgh, with approximately 20 staff. Its core function is landscape-scale ecological restoration across the Southern Uplands of Scotland, operating the 'Wild Heart' initiative covering 3,250 hectares across four interconnected landholdings: Carrifran Wildwood, Talla & Gameshope, Corehead & Devil's Beef Tub, and Ericstane. The organization restores native woodland, peatland, montane scrub, and associated habitats in a region where only 1.4–4% of land carries native woodland cover, having planted more than 2 million trees since inception.

The trust monetizes its work through a diversified revenue stack: individual donations, a seven-tier membership program (£1–£750), unit-priced tree sponsorship (£15 per tree), four-tier Wild Heart corporate sponsorship (£120–£3,000 annually), merchandise sales, legacy bequests, government grants (NatureScot, Scottish Forestry, Woodland Trust), and carbon finance routed through Forest Carbon under the Woodland Carbon Code and Peatland Code. It also generates community value through volunteer programs, woodland advisory services for landowners (45 supported, creating an additional 1,150 hectares of habitat), school education across all Scottish Borders primary schools, and the biannual Greenshed membership magazine.

BFT is governed by a board of trustees and led by Director/Chief Executive Charles Dundas, with operational staff including a Wild Heart Site Officer (Andy Wilson), Woodland Engagement Officer (Michelle Stamp), and Community and Education Officer (Anna Craigen). It holds no patents, has no parent company, and operates exclusively within the United Kingdom. The trust is registered in Scotland (No. SC162581) as a charity (No. SC024358). Its core technology is ecological restoration methodology rather than software, and its competitive position rests on land ownership at scale, regulatory designations (SSSI/SAC, Wild Land Area), community network depth, and 30 years of accumulated brand and ecological monitoring credibility.

Name

Borders Forest Trust

Legal name

Borders Forest Trust

Website

https://bordersforesttrust.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Borders Forest Trust is a Scottish conservation charity that restores native woodland and peatland across 3,250 hectares in the Southern Uplands, serving individual donors, corporate sponsors, landowners, and schools through donations, memberships, carbon finance, and grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Conservation and Ecological Restoration Services

NAICS

Forestry and Logging (113), Support Activities for Forestry (1153)

SIC

Forestry (800)

akta.pro primary industry

Land Trusts & Protected Areas (BPAGAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Forestry & Reforestation (BPAGAGAD), Conservation Easements & Land Trust Services (AFAMAMAH), Timberland Conservation & Easement Management (AFAMAKAI)

Keywords

• Ecological restoration services
• Native woodland creation
• Peatland restoration
• Conservation charity programs
• Habitat restoration advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Ancrum, Jedburgh

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations: Individual donations supporting land acquisition, tree planting, habitat restoration, and general operations. Donations can be one-time or recurring.
2. Membership Program: Annual membership fees ranging from £12 (student) to £750 (lifetime), providing physical magazines, annual reviews, AGM invitations, and voting rights for individual members.
3. Tree Sponsorship: Individuals can sponsor trees for £15 each, with gift cards available. Funds cover buying, transporting, planting, and ongoing maintenance of trees and surrounding landscape.
4. Wild Heart Sponsorship: Four-tiered annual sponsorship program: Bronze (£120), Silver (£250), Gold (£1,000), Platinum (£3,000). Sponsors receive certificates, annual updates, and event invitations. First £120 subject to VAT.
5. Shop Sales: Sale of merchandise including books (A Journey in Landscape Restoration £18.99, Land Smart £25), prints (Carrifran Lookout by Chris Rose £50), and greeting cards.
6. Corporate Membership: Corporate membership at £500/year includes group visits, social media mentions, magazine copies, staff volunteering opportunities, and 10% discount on individual memberships.
7. Legacy Gifts: Bequests and legacies in wills, described as important income source helping purchase land, plant woodlands, and protect natural habitats.
8. Carbon Finance: Revenue from carbon credits through Forest Carbon using the Woodland Carbon Code and Peatland Code. Private sector investment channels funds into climate mitigation projects.
9. Grant Funding: Funding from government bodies including NatureScot's Peatland Action Programme, Scottish Forestry, and charitable foundations. Supported by Woodland Trust and NatureScot's Biodiversity Challenge Fund for montane scrub projects.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Borders Forest Trust is a conservation charity that restores native woodland, peatland, and wild habitats across 3,250 hectares of the Southern Uplands of Scotland through its flagship Wild Heart initiative. The trust acquires and manages land, plants native trees, restores degraded peatlands, and engages volunteers and communities in ecological restoration. It generates revenue through donations, memberships, tiered sponsorship programs, tree sponsorships, legacy gifts, merchandise sales, and carbon finance partnerships.

Product overview

Borders Forest Trust is a Scottish conservation charity operating a portfolio of conservation programs centered on its Wild Heart initiative, a landscape-scale ecological restoration project across 3,250 hectares in the Southern Uplands. The core offering comprises four interconnected landholdings (Carrifran Wildwood, Talla & Gameshope, Corehead & Devil's Beef Tub, and Ericstane) where native woodland and habitat restoration is conducted. Revenue-generating products include the 'Sponsor the Wild Heart' tiered sponsorship program, 'Sponsor a Tree' gift product, annual BFT Membership (with Individual, Joint, Student, Unwaged, Group, Corporate, and Life tiers), a Shop selling publications and prints, Legacy Giving for planned bequests, and the Carrifran Wildwood Stewardship scheme. Supporting services include Volunteering Programs, Woodland Advice advisory services for landowners, Community & Education Programs, and the Greenshed Magazine publication for members.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wild Heart Land Borders Forest Trust's flagship landscape-scale ecological restoration project covering 3,250 hectares across four interconnected sites in the Southern Uplands of Scotland, including Carrifran Wildwood, Talla & Gameshope, Corehead & Devil's Beef Tub, and Ericstane. The Wild Heart serves as the umbrella for all of BFT's conservation land management activities.
• Sponsor the Wild Heart Annual sponsorship program with four tiers (Bronze £120, Silver £250, Gold £1,000, Platinum £3,000) supporting the long-term restoration of the Wild Heart ecosystem. Sponsors receive certificates, annual updates, and event invitations.
• Sponsor a Tree Tree sponsorship program priced at £15 per tree, enabling donors to commemorate life events with a personalized gift card (physical or digital) while supporting native tree planting at Wild Heart sites. Price covers buying, transporting, planting, and ongoing maintenance.
• BFT Membership Annual membership program with multiple tiers: Individual (£36), Joint (£50), Student (£12), Unwaged (£1), Group (£70), Corporate (£500), and Life (£750). Benefits include the Greenshed magazine, Annual Review, AGM invitations, and voting rights.
• BFT Shop Online shop offering nature-themed publications and prints including the books 'A Journey in Landscape Restoration' (£18.99) and 'Land Smart' by Tom Heap (£25), print 'Carrifran Lookout' by Chris Rose (£50), and greeting cards.
• Legacy Giving Charitable bequest program allowing supporters to include Borders Forest Trust in their will, supporting long-term land purchase, tree planting, and habitat protection of natural habitats.
• Woodland Advice Advisory service offering guidance on woodland creation, tree planting grants, and ancient woodland management for landowners in Southern Scotland. BFT has supported 45 landowners to create an additional 1,150 hectares of woodland habitat.
• Carrifran Wildwood Stewardship Land stewardship scheme allowing individuals to become permanently associated with the Carrifran Wildwood project through donations of £250, £500, or more, receiving certificates and introductory BFT membership. The scheme has raised nearly £250,000 with over 300 Stewards established.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2 million+ trees planted since 1996 (17 per person in Scottish Borders)
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Royal Botanic Gardens EdinburghcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBFT and Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh have a joint project during Summer 2022 to locate mature Wych elms in the Scottish Borders. This citizen science project involves the 'Wych Elm Hunt' and collaborative research.
• Connecting ThreadsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThrough Destination Tweed project, BFT is collaborating with Connecting Threads to offer a six-week artist residency within the Wild Heart. This residency engages artists to develop work critically engaging with the developing ecology of the sites.
• Destination TweedcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLottery Funded Destination Tweed project focusing on improving a 113-mile trail from Moffat, past the source of the Tweed to Berwick upon Tweed. BFT's Ericstane extension complements this ambitious trail improvement project.
• Langholm InitiativeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBFT is one of several charities (including John Muir Trust, RSPB Scotland, Scottish Wildlife Trust, Trees for Life, Woodland Trust, Rewilding Britain) that supported the Langholm Initiative's community buyout of Tarras Valley Nature Reserve. BFT provided advisory support and endorsement.
• Montane Scrub Action Group / Mountain Woodland Action GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFor 25 years BFT has been part of this action group (now called Mountain Woodland Action Group) with NatureScot and Forestry and Land Scotland, working to raise awareness of montane scrub habitat and build knowledge.

Scale indicators25 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Woodland Trust: The UK's largest woodland conservation charity. Directly comparable as a UK-wide nonprofit focused on native woodland creation, restoration, and protection, with similar community engagement, tree-planting, and grant-funding models. BFT has received funding from the Woodland Trust and is a regional counterpart in Scotland.
• John Muir Trust: Scottish conservation charity managing wild land for biodiversity and rewilding. Directly comparable as a Scotland-focused land-owning conservation nonprofit with similar landscape-scale restoration objectives, member/supporter base, and ecological-monitoring expertise.
• Trees for Life: Scottish rewilding charity focused on restoring the Caledonian Forest in the Highlands. Directly comparable as a Scottish native-woodland restoration nonprofit using volunteer engagement, donations, and ecological monitoring, with an overlapping niche in landscape-scale forest restoration.
• Scottish Wildlife Trust: Scotland's leading conservation charity for wildlife and habitats. Comparable as a Scotland-based nonprofit operating a network of nature reserves, with similar membership, volunteer, and corporate sponsorship models, and overlapping habitat restoration goals.
• The Conservation Volunteers (TCV): UK-wide charity connecting people with green-space conservation activities. Directly comparable in volunteer-led habitat restoration and community engagement, though TCV operates across urban and rural settings rather than landscape-scale land ownership.
• Plantlife: UK plant conservation charity. Comparable as a native-flora-focused conservation nonprofit with overlapping focus on habitat restoration, wild plant recovery, and partnerships with landowners, though with a species rather than landscape emphasis.

Broad incumbents

• RSPB Scotland: The Scotland arm of the UK's largest bird and nature conservation charity. A broad incumbent in the same conservation space with overlapping restoration partnerships (e.g., Langholm Initiative support), but with a much wider species and policy remit beyond woodlands.

Emerging players

• Rewilding Britain: UK rewilding advocacy and project catalyst. Comparable mission around large-scale ecological restoration and partner in community buyouts (e.g., Langholm Tarras Valley Nature Reserve), but operates more as a network/advocate than a direct landowner.
• Forest Carbon: UK's leading woodland carbon project developer and BFT's core carbon-finance partner. Comparable through deep involvement in native woodland and peatland restoration certification under the Woodland Carbon Code and Peatland Code, though operates as a commercial project developer rather than a charitable land steward.

Regional players

• Tweed Forum: Regional environmental charity for the Tweed catchment. Comparable through regional habitat restoration, landowner advisory work, and partnership with BFT on the Destination Tweed project, but focused on river/floodplain ecology rather than upland woodland restoration.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Borders Forest Trust