Forest Invest

Meet experts in forest investment from different corners of the forestry asset class. From investors to entrepreneurs, market players to service providers. Tune in to hear stories from the trenches, insights and best practice guidance to build your toolbox for creating profitable and impactful forest investments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Forest Invest is a business podcast hosted by Unknown Host, with 100 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Unknown Host hosts Forest Invest, a business show with 100 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #97

  Building an Impact-driven Natural Capital Investment Strategy – with Chris Larson

  Sep 7, 202653 minS3

  Forest Invest Connect – What’s happening in carbon markets? With Margaret Morales, Maria Filmanovic and Renat Heuberger. Attendance is limited. REGISTER HERE When: Wednesday, September 30th , 16:00-17:00 CET The ForestLink newsletter sign-up Alder Point Capital on LinkedIn Today, I’m joined by Chris Larson , Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Alder Point Capital . In this conversation, Chris shares the journey behind launching Alder Point and its approach to investing across timberland and farmland. We discuss where the team sees opportunities to create value in non-core and sub-institutional timberland markets through land aggregation, conservation transactions, carbon, and hands-on operational improvements. Chris explains Alder Point’s approach to impact investing, including its focus on biodiversity, climate resilience, and rural prosperity, and why intentionality matters when investing for environmental and social outcomes. We also explore the importance of showing up in rural communities, building trust with local stakeholders, and considering aligned exit opportunities with tribes, nonprofits, and community organizations. Finally, Chris reflects on moving from the allocator to the GP side of the table and shares his advice for investors considering their first allocation to forest investment. “We take what we call a ‘listen first’ approach. It’s never a good move to show up and start explaining why you think you’re going to save the day. Learn and understand what the local perspective is and how you might fit into that.” Chapters 00:33 – Welcome to Forest Invest 00:52 – Chris Larson and Alder Point Capital 04:54 – Why Alder Point Was Founded 06:15 – Launching a New Investment Strategy 09:16 – How Alder Point Creates Value 13:23 – Operational Improvements in Forestry 15:33 – A Look at a Timberland Investment 18:42 – Community Forests and Local Land Ownership 20:11 – Who Invests in Alder Point? 24:24 – Measuring Impact in Forest Investments 26:30 – What Makes Alder Point’s Impact Strategy Different? 29:41 – Finding Biodiversity Opportunities 30:51 – Where Alder Point Invests 33:38 – Managing Climate Risk 35:16 – Investing in Climate-Risky Areas 37:13 – Working With Rural Communities 42:23 – Building Relationships for Successful Exits 44:25 – Lessons From the Allocator Side 48:04 – What’s Next for Alder Point? 50:14 – One Piece of Advice for New Forest Investors 52:17 – Where to Learn More 52:41 – Closing Founding Director and Host: Shauna Matkovich - The ForestLink Producer and Editor: Magdalena Laas - Unscripted Creatives Nature by MaxKoMusic/Soundcloud Sopwell Woodlands and Scohaboy Bog SAC, Cloughjordan, Co Tipperary, IRELAND by wild_rumpus/Soundcloud Ambient Documentary by Sound Guru (Pixabay) Sign up now for the ForestLink’s newsletter, where you’ll receive technical advice, reflections, and best-practice guidance to support you with your forest-linked investment strategy or business straight to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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  Episode #96

  How Salesforce is Investing in Nature as Infrastructure - with Tim Christophersen

  Aug 31, 202656 minS3

  The ForestLink newsletter sign-up Forest Invest Connect - Virtual Round Table - Register here : https://lnkd.in/ewDKg5bq When: Wednesday, September 30th , 16:00-17:00 CET Today, I’m joined by T im Christophersen , Vice President of Climate Action at Salesforce and author of Generation Restoration . In this conversation, Tim makes the case for seeing nature not simply as a commodity but as our most basic infrastructure – and investing in it accordingly. We discuss Salesforce’s nature-positive strategy and its work to catalyse forest landscape restoration, alongside the role of carbon markets, technology, and public-private partnerships in building a restoration economy at scale. Tim explains why resilience and diversity should be fundamental to forest investment decisions and what investors should look for to distinguish genuine ecological restoration from projects that simply look good in a sustainability report. We also explore the risks of scaling restoration badly, the need for patient capital, and why inaction may now be the biggest investment risk of all. “We need to move beyond the 'charity and nature as a charitable cause' mindset into a mindset of the regenerative, the restoration economy taking off, where you can restore all that degraded land into healthy, productive landscapes.” 00:00 – Introduction 01:33 – Tim Christophersen’s journey from forestry to Salesforce 08:00 – Generation Restoration : the relationship crisis with nature 11:28 – Personal action and restoring nature at home 15:12 – Nature as infrastructure and the restoration economy 19:40 – Salesforce’s nature-positive strategy 22:04 – Empowering companies and customers to take action 26:26 – Scaling restoration: lessons from Brazil 29:23 – Investing in nature and the challenge of measuring returns 35:50 – Getting nature onto the corporate agenda 37:33 – What makes a nature-positive forest investment? 39:55 – When should investors reject a forest investment? 41:03 – The risks of scaling restoration badly 43:31 – Identifying genuine ecological restoration 46:05 – The future of forest investment and the cost of inaction 48:13 – The future of carbon markets 49:46 – Lessons learned and avoiding past mistakes 51:20 – Restoration as a social movement 53:16 – Humans as ecosystem engineers 53:48 – Final advice for investors 55:04 – Closing and where to find Tim’s work Founding Director and Host: Shauna Matkovich - The ForestLink Producer and Editor: Magdalena Laas - Unscripted Creatives Nature by MaxKoMusic/Soundcloud Sopwell Woodlands and Scohaboy Bog SAC, Cloughjordan, Co Tipperary, IRELAND by wild_rumpus/Soundcloud Ambient Documentary by Sound Guru (Pixabay) Sign up now for the ForestLink’s newsletter, where you’ll receive technical advice, reflections, and best-practice guidance to support you with your forest-linked investment strategy or business straight to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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  Episode #95

  Natural Capital Investment: What Happens Beyond Timber and Carbon Objectives with Cakey Worthington

  Aug 10, 20261h 1mS3

  The ForestLink newsletter sign-up Aurora Sustainable Lands Aurora on LinkedIn Today, I'm joined by Cakey Worthington , Senior Vice President of Sustainability and Natural Capital at Aurora Sustainable Lands. In this conversation, Cakey explains how Aurora has evolved from a carbon-focused investment strategy into a broader natural capital approach—one that values biodiversity, water, recreation, and other ecosystem services alongside financial returns. We discuss why carbon stewardship is replacing carbon maximization, how active forest management can strengthen both ecological resilience and long-term investment performance, and what investors should look for when evaluating natural capital asset managers. Cakey also shares how Aurora integrates field data, AI, remote sensing, and biodiversity monitoring across 1.65 million acres of forestland and why partnerships, transparency, and measurable outcomes will shape the future of institutional forest investment. "Our investors didn't invest in a fund—they invested in Aurora. That gives us the freedom to think beyond short-term returns and make management decisions that improve forest health, carbon outcomes, and ecosystem value for decades." 0:00 – Intro & favorite tree (the American white oak) 2:48 – Cakey's background and Aurora's origin story 8:01 – Investor profile and company structure 10:49 – From carbon strategy to natural capital 13:27 – What "natural capital" signals for the industry 16:56 – Harvesting operations and the evolving carbon strategy 19:42 – What to look for in a natural capital asset manager 23:56 – Data collection and operational decision-making 32:03 – Ecosystem services: insurance, communities, and other stakeholders 33:23 – Carbon stewardship vs. carbon maximization 40:08 – Lessons from adaptive, landscape-scale management 42:44 – Combining field data, remote sensing, and AI for monitoring 50:56 – The ISFC Natural Capital Project 53:37 – Balancing commercial returns with ecological outcomes 55:50 – Optimism for the future of natural capital 58:46 – Advice for investors new to forest investment 59:44 – Where to learn more about Aurora Sustainable Lands Founding Director and Host: Shauna Matkovich - The ForestLink Producer and Editor: Magdalena Laas - Unscripted Creatives Nature by MaxKoMusic/Soundcloud Sopwell Woodlands and Scohaboy Bog SAC, Cloughjordan, Co Tipperary, IRELAND by wild_rumpus/Soundcloud Ambient Documentary by Sound Guru (Pixabay) Sign up now for the ForestLink’s newsletter, where you’ll receive technical advice, reflections, and best-practice guidance to support you with your forest-linked investment strategy or business straight to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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  Episode #94

  Scottish Forestry Investment: Timber Security, Commercial Forestry & the Future of Productive Forests with David Robertson

  Aug 3, 202652 minS3

  The ForestLink newsletter sign-up Scottish Woodlands David Robertson on LinkedIn Today, I'm joined by David Robertson, Director of Investment and Business Development at Scottish Woodlands . In this conversation, David provides an inside look at Scotland's commercial forestry sector, explaining how productive forestry, biodiversity, and climate objectives can work together rather than compete. We discuss Scotland's timber supply, afforestation ambitions, forest investment opportunities, and how the UK remains heavily reliant on imported wood products. David also shares his perspective on balancing timber production with carbon projects, the evolution of modern plantation design, and why productive forests remain critical to long-term climate and economic resilience. We explore the challenges of public perception, community engagement, and the realities of managing forests in Scotland's unique landscape and climate. "The best advisors you can get are people who've got muddy boots but clean spreadsheets." 00:00 – Introduction and guest welcome 03:10 – David Robertson's background and Scottish Woodlands 06:07 – Scotland's forests: native vs commercial forestry 08:58 – Timber production, imports, and future supply challenges 11:15 – Government planting targets and afforestation ambitions 15:01 – Who invests in Scottish forestry? 17:13 – Timber production vs carbon projects 19:14 – Modern forestry: biodiversity and mixed-species planting 22:40 – Land ownership, leases, and carbon agreements 24:42 – Public access and Scotland's right to roam 26:57 – Community concerns and public perception of forestry 31:14 – Anti-forestry activism and the challenge of communication 32:48 – Why clear-cutting is still necessary in Scotland 39:17 – Changing public opinion through engagement 40:28 – Continuous cover forestry: opportunities and limitations 45:05 – The future of Scottish forestry over the next 20 years 48:38 – Advice for new forestry investors 50:57 – Where to learn more and closing remarks Founding Director and Host: Shauna Matkovich - The ForestLink Producer and Editor: Magdalena Laas - Unscripted Creatives Nature by MaxKoMusic/Soundcloud Sopwell Woodlands and Scohaboy Bog SAC, Cloughjordan, Co Tipperary, IRELAND by wild_rumpus/Soundcloud Ambient Documentary by Sound Guru (Pixabay) Sign up now for the ForestLink’s newsletter, where you’ll receive technical advice, reflections, and best-practice guidance to support you with your forest-linked investment strategy or business straight to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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  Episode #93

  The Impact Advantage of Investing in Naturally Regenerating Forests with Jim Hourdequin

  Jul 27, 202653 minS3

  The ForestLink newsletter sign-up The Lyme Timber Company Today I'm joined by Jim Hourdequin, CEO and Managing Director of The Lyme Timber Company, one of the pioneers of institutional timberland investing and impact forestry. As the company celebrates its 50th anniversary, Jim reflects on the investment philosophy that has guided Lyme since 1976 and explains why naturally regenerating forests create unique opportunities to deliver both attractive investment returns and meaningful conservation outcomes. We discuss how conservation easements have become a cornerstone of Lyme's strategy, why the firm invests beyond the forest gate into logging businesses and sawmills, and the opportunities and trade-offs presented by forest carbon markets. Finally, Jim shares why evergreen investment structures, patient capital, and investing in people are essential ingredients for building resilient forests—and resilient forest businesses. "We have to make logging safer. We can't expect people to work eighty-hour weeks. If we invest in people, pay attractive wages and adopt better technology, we'll recruit outstanding professionals and build stronger forestry businesses over time." 00:00 – Introduction and Lyme Timber's 50-year anniversary 02:30 – Jim Hourdequin's background and the evolution of Lyme Timber 06:30 – Building a long-term investment philosophy in timberland 11:30 – Pioneering impact investing through conservation 17:00 – Conservation easements: how they work and why they matter 29:55 – Carbon markets: opportunities, limitations, and trade-offs 36:40 – Investing beyond forests: strengthening the timber supply chain 40:55 – Mechanized logging, safety, and innovation on steep terrain 45:05 – Addressing labor shortages and the future of forestry operations 47:45 – Lyme's new evergreen fund and long-term vision 51:45 – Advice for new forest investors and closing remarks Founding Director and Host: Shauna Matkovich - The ForestLink Producer and Editor: Magdalena Laas - Unscripted Creatives Nature by MaxKoMusic/Soundcloud Sopwell Woodlands and Scohaboy Bog SAC, Cloughjordan, Co Tipperary, IRELAND by wild_rumpus/Soundcloud Ambient Documentary by Sound Guru (Pixabay) Sign up now for the ForestLink’s newsletter, where you’ll receive technical advice, reflections, and best-practice guidance to support you with your forest-linked investment strategy or business straight to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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