Borders Forest Trust

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Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Borders Forest Trust, Environmental conservation organisation, Monteviot Nurseries, Ancrum.

Our vision for the south of Scotland is for a place where a rich tapestry of native woodlands and wild places can flourish, cared for by the local communities that live there.

08/06/2026

We're hiring! 💚🌿

Looking for your next role? We're recruiting a Wild Heart Site Manager, who will be responsible for managing the delivery of land management and engagement activity across BFT’s four Wild Heart ecological restoration sites in Southern Scotland.

This post will involve managing a range of conservation and engagement projects within the Wild Heart sites, ensuring that they are delivered safely to a high standard and within agreed timeframes and budgets. Health and safety will be a responsibility of the Site Manager to ensure necessary policies and procedures are in place and adhered to in order to keep staff, volunteers, visitors, contractors and the sites safe.

The Site Manager will ensure that the Wild Heart sites are safe, accessible, well maintained and welcoming and are delivering BFT’s vision of landscape scale ecological restoration in the South of Scotland that benefits wildlife, the environment and people.

Further details and how to apply on our website.

Deadline: Noon, Monday 29th June 2026.

Interviews are expected to take place on 20th July in Moffat, Dumfries and Galloway and will include a panel interview and site visit – so several hours will be needed.

# EnvironmentalJobs

04/06/2026

We had a fantastic time at our recent High Camp weekend at Talla & Gameshope! 24 of our wonderful volunteers planted over 3,000 montane scrub at Great Hill 🌿

These plants will connect historic and future planting along the valley, and will to help to restore a critically missing habitat in the Southern Uplands.

Want to get involved, or find out more about volunteering in the Wild Heart? Email Adrian at [email protected] - we'll be delighted to hear from you! 💚

Images © C. Patience & C. Brannigan.

29/05/2026

We are running a pilot project at Drygrange woodland near Melrose! 🌿

THRIVE is a free, seven-week, woodland-based programme supporting adults currently not in employment or education to promote emotional wellbeing, build resilience and strengthen social connection. 💚

👉 To find out more and register, contact Hermione at [email protected]. 🌳

26/05/2026

We were recently in Tweedsmuir for a gorgeous Montane Scrub & Grub day! 🌿

Montane scrub is a high-altitude tree-line woodland. The habitat occurs at or near the limits of woodland growth, and consists of low, stunted and dwarfed species of trees, shrubs, dwarf-shrubs and alpine wildflowers.

We were joined by our regular collaborators Treesurv, who lent their expertise and specialism in high-altitude and montane planting.

Participants learned about this rare, fragmented and isolated habitat, and then had opportunities to get hands-on creating a montane scrub border and planting a hedge! 🌳

This initiative was created by and the Wee Crook Cafe, in collaboration with Tweedsmuir Community Garden. Wee Crook café also supplied the fantastic grub!

Do pop by and see the new montane scrub display bed in the Tweedsmuir Community Garden if you are passing! 💚
Tweedsmuir Community Company

22/05/2026

Spring at Carrifran Wildwood! 🌳🏹💚

New leaves, new life, and a landscape continuing its extraordinary recovery.

These stunning spring photographs, taken by BFT trustee and generous pro-bono photographer Colin McLean, show a landscape transformed.

Once barren and overgrazed, the site is now in its 26th year of restoration. This vision began as a bold grassroots initiative in the 1990s; to revive an entire upland valley and return it to the rich, diverse woodland last seen here six thousand years ago.

After 26 years (which saw the planting of 700,000 native trees by incredible volunteers and contractors!), human intervention is steadily being scaled back. Natural regeneration is nowtaking the lead.

We continue the careful removal of old vole guards, clearing the last remnants of early planting years and preparing the Wildwood for a truly self‑sustaining future.

Carrifran is now a flourishing ecosystem, alive with birds, animals, lichens, and fungi.

A pioneering project of hope, that is flourishing further with every season 💚

20/05/2026

Join us for a special full- day tour exploring some of the most remarkable ancient and heritage trees in the Scottish Borders! 🌳✨

Led by Borders Forest Trust and heritage‑tree expert Keith Knight, this guided minibus tour offers rare access to extraordinary trees (including several on private land!), and a chance to discover the stories, history & ecology behind them 🌿

📅 Saturday 12th September
⏰ 10am – 5pm
📍 Meet at the Jedburgh Elm, Jedburgh
🚐 Minibus transport included!

Please wear sturdy footwear and bring warm layers, water, and a packed lunch. A reasonable level of fitness is required.

💚 Sliding‑scale donations: £20 • £60 • £95
Your contribution supports our work restoring the Wild Heart of Southern Scotland, and connecting communities to local landscapes.

🎟️ Booking essential! Eventbrite link here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/heritage-and-ancient-tree-tour-tickets-1988000494996

15/05/2026

Our brilliant Borders Volunteers have been busy making benches this week! 💚

The benches have been made from ash that has been felled and processed, and finished with beautiful boards milled by the fantastic Real Wood Studios! 🌿

They are a wonderful addition to our community woodland area, which will be increasingly used for upcoming outreach activities for vulnerable and marginalised groups. 🌳

Photo - A. Monaghan.

13/05/2026

Want to know more about our upland and woodland birds, and improve your sight & sound ID skills? 🪶🐦‍⬛🎶

Join BFT staff, and ecologist Andrew McDonald, for a FREE guided walk at Corehead ID-ing upland and woodland birds by sight and sound.
Donations to BFT to cover our costs and continue our work reviving the Wild Heart of Southern Scotland are very much appreciated and can be done through our website (link in bio). 💚

📅 24th May Bird ID Walk
⏰ 9:30am – 3pm
📍 Corehead (near Moffat)

To book a space, or for more details, please email our Borders Forest Trust Engagement Officer Adrian at: [email protected]

08/05/2026

Our Head of Land Management, Nicola Hunt, is celebrating 25 years at BFT! 🌳

Nic joined the Trust team in 2001 as the Projects Assistant and has worked in just about every role in BFT over the years. Now she is responsible for the development and management of habitat restoration and engagement activities in our Wild Heart sites and on other BFT landholdings. 🌿

Originally from Hamilton, Nic moved to Edinburgh to study Ecological Science at the University. From there, she worked in a number of jobs including as a ranger in West Lothian, before moving to the Borders in 2000 to a mammal research position.

During her time at BFT, Nic has overseen and facilitated the planting of over one and a half million trees, and has secured millions of pounds in funding for the restoration of nature in the South of Scotland. What an incredible ongoing legacy, from our longest-serving member of staff! 🌳

From all of us at BFT - staff, trustees, volunteers, and trees - please join us in saying a big congratulations and thank-you to Nic! 💚💚💚

06/05/2026

It's been a busy time recently for our Borders Volunteers! We recently had a fabulous FIT count training session with Kate from Buglife - The Invertebrate Conservation Trust, to help volunteers effectively monitor insects on sites. The session took place at BFT site The Secret Meadow at Drygrange, and it was a day of learning and laughter! 🐝🦋

Earlier in April, we set to clearing gorse at the Deer Park in Selkirk with our friends at Bright Green Nature, to help manage encroachment onto species rich grassland. And this week we have been clearing felled dead ash from Drygrange, with the help of Borders College chainsaw trainees. 🌿

A huge thank you to our volunteers and supporters who contribute to this ongoing work! 💚

📸 © H. Toulson.

Address

Monteviot Nurseries
Ancrum
TD86TU

Telephone

+441835830750

Website

http://www.bordersforesttrust.org/

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