Nominee Summary
Borders Forest Trust is a pioneering conservation charity dedicated to restoring native woodlands and wild landscapes across southern Scotland. Through long-term habitat restoration, natural regeneration and community engagement, the Trust has transformed degraded upland sites into thriving ecosystems that support biodiversity, improve habitat connectivity and enhance landscape resilience. Its flagship projects demonstrate how conservation can deliver lasting benefits for wildlife, local communities and future generations. By combining practical land management with education, volunteering and partnership working, Borders Forest Trust has become a leading example of landscape-scale conservation in Scotland
What was the motivation?
Borders Forest Trust was founded in 1996 in response to the severe loss of native woodland and wildlife habitats across southern Scotland, one of the least wooded areas in mainland Scotland. The organisation's vision has been to restore the natural habitats, ecological processes and woodland culture that once characterised the Southern Uplands. Through projects such as Carrifran Wildwood, Corehead and Talla & Gameshope, the Trust has sought to demonstrate that large-scale habitat restoration can reverse centuries of ecological decline and create a more resilient landscape for future generations. Its recent work has focused on creating a network of recovering habitats across the Southern Uplands, including native woodland, montane scrub, peatland and wetland habitats. Through the Reviving the Wild Heart project, the Trust is demonstrating how landscape-scale conservation can help reverse nature decline while improving public access, education and community involvement. The motivation is not only to restore habitats, but to leave a lasting legacy of healthier ecosystems and stronger connections between people and nature for future generations.
The impact of their work
Borders Forest Trust is delivering one of Scotland's most ambitious landscape-scale conservation projects through its "Reviving the Wild Heart of Southern Scotland" initiative. Recent achievements at Talla & Gameshope include the restoration of 80 hectares of degraded peatland and the creation of 220 hectares of native woodland and montane scrub habitat. In 2025, the Trust secured further support to plant an additional 10,500 native trees, restore 15 hectares of priority habitat and remove invasive Sitka spruce, helping reconnect fragmented ecosystems and improve biodiversity. Across its estates, restoration is already supporting the return of native woodland species, improving habitat connectivity, enhancing water quality and creating resilient landscapes that will benefit wildlife and people for generations. Together, Carrifran, Corehead and Talla & Gameshope now form over 3,000 hectares of connected habitat restoration, creating one of the largest ecological restoration landscapes in southern Scotland
Including the community
Community involvement has been central to Borders Forest Trust from the outset. The organisation was established through grassroots action and continues to place local participation at the heart of its work. Carrifran Wildwood was purchased through contributions from around 600 individual supporters, while thousands of volunteers have contributed to tree planting, habitat restoration, wildlife monitoring and practical conservation activities over the past 25 years. The Trust works closely with schools, universities, community groups and local residents, providing opportunities for learning, volunteering and decision-making. Its restoration projects demonstrate how conservation can be delivered with communities rather than simply for them, creating a strong sense of ownership and stewardship of the landscape
