Forest Invest

The ForestLink newsletter sign-up Funga Josh Parrish (LinkedIn) Today, I’m joined by Josh Parrish, Chief Growth Officer at Funga. Josh explains how restoring the forest soil microbiome with native mycorrhizal fungi can meaningfully improve tree survival and boost growth rates in intensively managed Southern pine plantations, without relying on synthetic inputs. We explore the science and technolog...

The ForestLink newsletter sign-up Anton Timpers (LinkedIn) FMO Today on Forest Invest, I am joined by Anton Timpers, Manager of Agriculture, Food and Forestry at FMO, the Dutch entrepreneurial development bank. Anton explains how FMO approaches forestry as part of its wider agribusiness and sustainable land-use strategy. We discuss how the bank invests across the full forestry life cycle, from ear...

The ForestLink newsletter signup Tāmata Hauhā Blair Jamieson on LinkedIn We’ve proven that it works — that you can invest in Māori land, generate real returns, and create meaningful change. In today’s episode, I’m joined by Blair Jamieson , CEO and Co-Founder of Tāmata Hauhā , a New Zealand–based company leading the way in Māori land investment , carbon forestry , and sustainable land-use transfor...

The ForestLink newsletter signup Global Forest Generation Acción Andina Florent Kaiser (LinkedIn) Earthshot Prize In this episode, I’m joined by Florent Kaiser , CEO of Global Forest Generation and co-lead of Acción Andina , winner of the 2023 Earthshot Prize . Florent shares how a grassroots movement born in the Peruvian Andes has evolved into a six-country restoration effort —reviving the world’...

The ForestLink newsletter signup The Carbon Paradox Terra Impact Ventures Renat Heuberger Renat Heuberger , CEO of Terra Impact Ventures and author of The Carbon Paradox , joins host Shauna Matkovich to explore why the forest carbon market is both vital and fiercely debated. He unpacks key paradoxes — from the “baseline” paradox that rewards past deforestation to the “leakage,” “control,” and “tra...

The ForestLink newsletter signup REDD++ Business Initiative Treevive In this episode, Shauna Matkovich speaks with Michel Schuurman , Director of Business Development at TreeVive and Chair of the REDD+ Business Initiative , about the slowdown in corporate demand for avoided deforestation credits and why REDD+ remains the most scalable, cost-effective way to protect tropical forests. Drawing on two...

Today, I’m joined by Niamh McCarthy , Senior Director of Climate-Related Risk, and Alexandre Köberle , Senior Fellow at Orbitas—an initiative of Climate Advisors. We explore their report Room to Grow: The Economic Case for Forest Restoration in Brazil , showing how climate transitions open new investment pathways in Brazil’s land economy. Orbitas’ scenario analysis quantifies financial risks and o...

In this episode, I speak to Jen Stebbing , a communications strategist working at the intersection of climate, nature, and markets . Jen shares her key takeaways from New York Climate Week , where forests are increasingly being seen as essential infrastructure rather than “nice-to-haves.” We discuss the emerging portfolio approach to forest finance—integrating conservation, restoration, improved m...

In this episode, Shauna is interviewed by Matthew Kristoff of the  Your Forest Podcast . In this conversation, they talk about what it means to invest in forests today – starting with the basics. Can individuals invest in forests? What is the traditional timberland investment model, and why doesn't it fit in most of Canada? Shauna shares insights on how timber remains a key driver of forest i...

In this episode, I speak with Dr. Virginia Dale, Research Professor at the University of Tennessee , about forest bioenergy, biomass energy, and sustainable forest management. We explore how post-harvest waste, sawdust, and rejected logs can be transformed into biomass pellets that generate renewable energy while lowering wildfire and insect risks. Virginia explains why the carbon footprint of bio...

Danan Margason , Founder & CEO of Aarden AI , joins me in conversation to explain how their platform helps Timberland Investment Management Organizations (TIMOs) and natural capital managers find the highest and best use of land. From geospatial AI and NPV/IRR scenarios to conservation, carbon, solar, and data centers, we explore where it works best, where it’s less effective, and why better d...

Michael Schmitt, Director of Sales & Marketing at Air Burners , explains how air curtain burners provide a safer, low-emission alternative to slash burning and wood chipping.  We cover innovations like the BurnBoss and CharBoss , which help the US Forest Service and landowners turn forest residues into biochar , cut wildfire risk , and even generate on-site electricity.  Michael shar...

Today, I’m joined by Warren Erses , Founder and Partner, and Megha Chakraborty , Research Analyst at CE Events and Media . Together, we dive into their Global Biodiversity Report: Market Dynamics – The Push & Pull of Supply & Demand and unpack the fast-evolving world of biodiversity markets. Warren explains how forest investment is shifting in response to corporate net-zero commitments, re...

Andrew Morgan, Managing Director of SFM Agribusiness, a leading forest management operator (timber and carbon projects), joins me to discuss the evolution of Australia’s compliance carbon market. We look at its standards, methodologies, pricing, and the main Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCU) buyers. Andrew shares insights on SFM’s “ActivAcre” model, which partners landowners with institutional...

Today, I’m joined by Tony Pesklevits, Manager of Wildfire Prevention, Cultural and Prescribed Fire at the BC Wildfire Service. In this conversation, we explore how wildfire management in British Columbia (BC) is evolving to reflect a changing climate, forest ecosystems, communities in the wild-urban interface, and the resurgence of Indigenous fire management. Tony shares how fire has always shaped...

Today, Alex Logan, CEO and Co-Founder of Cecil, joins me on the Forest Invest podcast. We explore how Cecil is helping bridge the gap between complex nature data sets and real-world applications by addressing a growing challenge in forest investment: accessible, accurate, and actionable nature data. We discuss the importance of understanding the limitations of current data, the need for better “gr...

Today, I’m joined by Hans Lemm, Director of Acacia Africa Advisors and former CEO of East Africa’s largest forest company. In this conversation, Hans shares lessons from over two decades of leading industrial forestry businesses across the emerging markets of Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya, Mozambique, and South Sudan. We explore what’s changed and what hasn’t in African forestry, from the growing role o...

Alessandro Materni, Managing Partner at FLS Forestry Linked Securities, joins me on The Forest Investment Podcast. Today, we explore how securitization can revolutionize forest investment in the Global South, making it more accessible to institutional investors. Alessandro breaks down the mechanics of forestry-backed securities, the unique advantages of reforestation in Paraguay, and the safeguard...

Today, I’m joined by Olly Hughes, Managing Director of Forestry, and David Gardner, Chief Investment Officer for Forestry at Gresham House. In this discussion, we explore how Gresham House builds global forestry portfolios that incorporate both financial and climate-related considerations. Olly explains why timberland offers stable, inflation-linked returns and outlines how it fits into the “natur...

Today, I’m joined by Charlotte Kaiser, Head of Impact Finance, and Esben Brandi, Head of Business Development at BTG Pactual Timberland Investment Group (TIG). In this episode, we explore how TIG is collaborating with Conservation International and The Nature Conservancy to achieve ambitious climate and biodiversity outcomes. We discuss the operational integration of production forestry and restor...

In this episode, I’m joined by Geoffrey Seeto, Senior Managing Director and Head of Emerging Markets at New Forests, to discuss the Future Forest Innovations Fund — a global, open-ended forestry vehicle co-developed with Oji Holdings. Geoffrey explains how the Fund aims to meet climate targets through a high-integrity insetting strategy and achieve full FSC certification across its portfolio. We e...

Today, I am joined by Darius Sarshar, Principal at SLM Partners. In this episode, Darius makes a compelling case for Continuous Cover Forestry (CCF) as a regenerative, climate-resilient alternative to clear-fell forest management models. We explore when CCF makes sense and how it delivers both strong financial returns and meaningful ecological benefits, boosting IRRs, enhancing biodiversity, and g...

Today I’m joined by Marcos Wichert, Vice President, Plantation Forest and Sustainability Management at Stora Enso. Marcos shares his international journey across Brazil, China, New Zealand, and Finland, exploring how sustainable forestry must adapt to local regulations, ecosystems, and social expectations. We delve into the role of catchment-based planning, biodiversity KPIs, and the dos and don't...

This episode flips the usual format. Instead of hosting, I’m the one being interviewed by Margaret Morales during a live webinar, which is now being shared with you in this special release. We dive into the evolving landscape of forest investment, where carbon and timber strategies increasingly overlap with climate and impact goals. I share what I’ve learned from advising asset managers and projec...

Today, I’m joined by Tracy Buran Evens, Principal of TimberLink, who shares insights from a recent survey capturing the biggest challenges facing institutional Timberland investors today. We unpack the top themes that emerged from both asset managers and investors—return expectations, macroeconomic pressures, ESG obligations, strategy, and valuation concerns. Tracy explains why there’s a disconnec...