Fondation Forêt Boucher

What Fondation Forêt Boucher does

Fondation Forêt Boucher is a Quebec-based non-profit charitable organization founded in 2007, dedicated to the protection, enhancement, and stewardship of the Boucher Forest, a 283.3-hectare woodland located in the Gatineau/Ottawa region. The foundation serves the general public, school groups, educational visitors, and a network of donors, with functional activities spanning biodiversity conservation, ecological research and species inventories, environmental education programming, and outdoor recreation including hiking and hébertism trails. Its core "product" is the long-term custodial management of a fixed-land natural asset rather than a commercial technology offering.

The organization's revenue model is that of a registered charity: individual memberships priced at $25 per year, corporate sponsorships, government grants, and periodic multi-year fundraising campaigns. Its 2021-2022 campaign raised approximately $1.8 million in cash plus $222,000 in in-kind contributions, totaling $2.022 million, demonstrating episodic capacity to attract large capital inflows. Recurring operating revenue is materially smaller than this campaign figure. The foundation operates with a lean staff of 1-10 employees and is heavily reliant on a small set of named corporate sponsors — most prominently Brigil as lead corporate donor, alongside Lafarge Canada and Desjardins — and on institutional partners such as the Université du Québec en Outaouais (UQO) for research collaboration.

The foundation has formalized its strategic direction through a Conservation Action Plan covering 2025-2030 and has expanded its programming surface through initiatives such as the hébertism trail launch and deepened research partnerships. Growth is bounded by the fixed geographic perimeter of the protected forest and the small absolute scale of its operations, positioning the entity as a stable, mission-driven conservation land trust rather than a scalable commercial enterprise.

Name

Fondation Forêt Boucher

Legal name

Fondation Forêt Boucher

Website

https://fondationforetboucher.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Founded in 2007, Fondation Forêt Boucher is a Quebec non-profit that protects and manages the 283.3-hectare Boucher Forest in Gatineau through biodiversity conservation, species inventories, environmental education, and outdoor recreation programming for the public, schools, and donors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Urban forest conservation and park management

NAICS

Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219), Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Forestry (800)

akta.pro primary industry

Wildlife Sanctuaries, Conservation Parks & Reserves (Visitor Operations) (THAAAAAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Conservation Parks & Private Nature Reserves (Visitor Operations) (THAAAFAB), National Park & Protected Area Tours (THAJAIAA), Recreation & Activity Services (Hiking, Boating, Climbing, Fishing—Guided/Authorized) (THAAAGAF)

Keywords

• Urban forest conservation
• Environmental education programs
• Urban park management
• Biodiversity conservation
• Nonprofit conservation foundation

Headquarters

HQ city

Gatineau

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership fees: Annual membership program costing $25 per year, providing members with voting rights at the AGM, advance information on projects, and a voice in the organization's direction.
2. Corporate donations: Corporate donations from companies such as Brigil (major donor), Lafarge Canada ($75,000 over 5 years), and others. Includes in-kind donations from media partners (Cogeco Media, LeDroit, RNC Média, Bell Media).
3. Individual donations: Personal donations from individuals, including major donors and planned giving programs with enhanced donor recognition. Tax receipts issued for donations of $25 or more.
4. Government funding: Financing from public programs, foundations, and government bodies including the Government of Québec (Ministère de l'Éducation), the City of Gatineau, and Fondation de la faune du Québec (managing Hydro-Québec's Program for the Enhancement of Natural Environments).
5. Fundraising campaigns: Major fundraising campaigns such as the 2021-2022 'Everyone for Boucher Forest Park' campaign which raised $1.8 million (exceeding its $1.75M goal), with total of $2.022M including in-kind donations and media services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Fondation Forêt Boucher manages and operates Parc de la Forêt-Boucher, a free 283.3-hectare urban forest park in Gatineau, Quebec, providing public access to nearly 8 km of trails, boardwalks, interpretive panels, a pedestrian shelter, and universal-access amenities. The Foundation runs environmental education programs (nature activities with GUEPE, day camps, Bioblitz citizen-science events), a $25/year membership program, and conservation initiatives including the 2025-2030 Conservation Action Plan to protect 11 priority ecosystems and 8 species at risk.

Product overview

Fondation Forêt Boucher operates a single integrated park system—the Parc de la Forêt-Boucher—offering public access to an urban forest, environmental education programs, and conservation activities. The core offering is the park itself, which is enhanced by supplementary programs including nature activities (GUEPE), seasonal day camps, annual Bioblitz citizen science events, and a membership program. Infrastructure includes trails, boardwalks, interpretive panels, a pedestrian shelter, and a hébertism fitness trail. The organization also produces strategic planning documents like the Conservation Action Plan 2025-2030 to guide long-term ecosystem protection.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Parc de la Forêt-Boucher A 283.3-hectare urban forest park in Gatineau, Quebec, offering free public access year-round to nearly 8 km of trails, boardwalks, a 1.6 km universal-access trail, interpretive panels, a 77 m² pedestrian shelter, picnic areas, and the hébertisme fitness trail. Open to all visitors, including those with reduced mobility.
• GUEPE Nature Activities Program Free nature programming in partnership with GUEPE, including 'Matinées nature' for children aged 3-10 and families, and 'Rencontres avec un naturaliste' themed outings for the general public. Activities include guided hikes, nature games, and educational workshops.
• Day Camp and Forest School Programming

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,641 species documented in Boucher Forest, including 8 species at risk and 19 new species identified during the 2026 Bioblitz
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• City of GatineaucoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2007The City of Gatineau owns approximately 55% of Boucher Forest (360 acres) and entrusts the Foundation with managing the protected area. The City has gradually acquired parcels of land within the forest over the years and has partnered with the Foundation for park development, trail construction, and infrastructure. The City also financed the structures for the hébertisme (fitness) trail.
• Université du Québec en Outaouais (UQO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Foundation, UQO, and Loisir sport Outaouais formed a partnership titled 'Unis pour l'éducation hors les murs' to promote outdoor education and encourage educational success for children. UQO students in education participate in programming, and the partnership includes a free summer camp for children from École Internationale du village.
• Loisir sport Outaouais (LSO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the 'Unis pour l'éducation hors les murs' initiative alongside UQO. LSO is a member of the EX3 program of the Réseau des Unités régionales de loisir et de sport du Québec, contributing expertise in outdoor recreation programming.
• GUEPE (Groupement unifié pour l'éducation et la protection de l'environnement)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGUEPE partners with the Foundation to offer free nature activity programs including 'Matinées nature' for children (3-10 years) and families, and 'Rencontres avec un naturaliste' for the general public. Activities include hikes, nature games, and guided explorations.
• Coopérative des Forêts et des GensminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for the Relâche scolaire 2026 programming, providing expert-led workshops on animal tracking and winter botany for families and children aged 7-15.
• OrkestraminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesign firm that developed the concept for the 10 interpretive panels in Boucher Forest Park, featuring illustrations by artist Élise Gravel.
• A4 Architecture + Design (Sophie Lamothe)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSophie Lamothe of A4 Architecture + Design volunteered to design the 77 m² pedestrian shelter in the heart of Boucher Forest Park.
• Logs EndminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner that generously provided white pine wood (over 70 years old, recovered from the Ottawa River) used for the recognition trees created by artist Sylvain Potvin.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Fondation de la faune du Québec: Quebec nonprofit funding wildlife habitat conservation, species-at-risk protection, and outdoor education — directly comparable mission and Quebec regional focus to FFB.
• Fondation Hydro-Québec pour l'environnement: Quebec-based environmental foundation funding habitat restoration and biodiversity projects — directly comparable given FFB's receipt of Hydro-Québec program funding and its Quebec conservation mandate.
• Friends of the High Line: Nonprofit that operates and programs a celebrated urban green space with public access, volunteer engagement, and corporate fundraising — closely mirrors FFB's community-led model on urban natural infrastructure.
• Stanley Park Ecology Society: Nonprofit that conserves and educates within a major urban park through citizen science, school programs, and habitat restoration — directly analogous to FFB's role within Boucher Forest.
• Ontario Nature: Provincial conservation nonprofit focused on biodiversity, habitat protection, and citizen science — closely comparable advocacy, science, and stewardship model to FFB.
• GUEPE (Groupement unifié pour l'éducation et la protection de l'environnement): Quebec environmental education nonprofit delivering nature activity programs; an FFB partner with overlapping programming on guided hikes, naturaliste encounters, and family nature activities.
• Coopérative des Forêts et des Gens: Active FFB partner offering expert-led forest-education workshops; same target audience (families, school groups) and forest-immersion programming as FFB.
• Nature Conservancy of Canada (Conservation de la nature Canada): Canada's largest private land conservation nonprofit, securing natural areas through acquisition, stewardship, and partnerships — directly comparable to FFB's land-protection and community-mobilization model, though operating at national scale.

Regional players

• Les Amis du parc Jean-Drapeau: Quebec nonprofit advocating for and supporting an urban park — structurally similar friends-of-the-park model to FFB, though operating on a different park and in greater Montreal.

Broad incumbents

• David Suzuki Foundation: Larger Canadian environmental nonprofit working on biodiversity and climate; broader advocacy mandate but overlaps with FFB's urban-forest and biodiversity-education work.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/foretboucherforest
• Instagraminstagram.com/foretboucher

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 Fondation Forêt Boucher