Forest Invest

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Scellec Teca

The Ask: Up to $60M EUR to acquire land and establish high value teak plantations in Colombia

Blurb: Today on Pitch Pod, I'm joined by Michael Hayden, CEO of Scellec Teca to explore the company’s investment model for developing high-quality teak plantations in Colombia. Building on a first project that has deployed €32 million across nearly 4,000 hectares, Michael introduces Project Two – a greenfield teak investment seeking up to €60 million in institutional capital. We discuss why Colombia’s Caribbean region offers attractive growing conditions for teak, Scellec's approach to land acquisition and plantation management, and the role of FSC certification and carbon credits in the investment model. Michael explains the long-term supply and demand dynamics behind teak, including opportunities in Asian roundwood markets and higher-value end uses. We also dig into projected returns, timber growth and price assumptions, land values, currency and operational risks, and potential exit pathways. Finally, Michael shares lessons learned from Project One and explains why strong relationships with employees and local communities are fundamental to managing forestry assets for the long term.

Founding Director and Host: Shauna Matkovich - The ForestLink

Producer and Editor: Magdalena Laas - Unscripted Creatives

Sound Library

Ecology-Agriculture-Environment via Pixabay

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Forest Trends (LinkedIn)

Read the report

Today, I’m joined by Genevieve Bennett, Senior Advisor and Interim Director at Forest Trends’ Ecosystem Marketplace. In this conversation, we unpack findings from the State of Private Investment in Nature 2026 report and the numbers behind the rapid growth of natural capital investing. Genevieve explains why private investment in nature has grown five-fold over the past decade, where capital is being deployed, and how institutional participation has evolved. We discuss evidence that the repositioning of Timberland around natural capital is more than a branding exercise, with carbon and other natural capital revenues increasingly incorporated into forest investment strategies and underwriting. We also explore the growing sophistication of investors, why impact measurement and diligence can slow capital deployment, and the role of catalytic capital in building the next generation of nature investment opportunities.

00:00 Introduction

01:09 Genevieve Bennett and Forest Trends

06:05 Who benefits from Ecosystem Marketplace's data?

08:35 Why private investment in nature matters now

13:39 Defining nature finance: the six categories

19:13 Report methodology and data sources

21:41 Private investment in nature grows fivefold

23:08 Which nature finance strategies are growing?

28:44 The impact of large transactions and institutional investors

31:57 Forestry investment: three case studies

34:39 How forestry's share of nature investment has changed

38:47 Is natural capital changing forestry underwriting?

45:34 Investor priorities, impact and due diligence

49:40 Where is nature investment heading?

50:41 Looking ahead to 2036

55:33 The role of catalytic capital

59:19 Advice for new forest investors

01:00:29 Where to find the report and learn more

01:01:13 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)

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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

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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.

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)

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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 Tim 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.

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.

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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.

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.

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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.

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.

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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.

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.

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Jen Stebbing on LinkedIn

Sotora Global

AFF's Permanence Trust's preliminary findings

Climate Collective

SHIFT-CM's Buffer Pools & Beyond

RMI

Nature's Echo - Prof. Thomas Crowther

Today, I'm joined once again by Jen Stebbing, CEO and Co-Founder of Sotora Global, to unpack the biggest conversations from London Climate Action Week 2026 and what they mean for forest investors, carbon markets, and nature finance.

Jen shares why this year's discussions marked a noticeable shift from questioning whether carbon markets work to focusing on how to scale them with greater integrity. We explore the emerging demand signals from corporate buyers, the evolving role of standards such as SBTi, and why a communications gap—not necessarily a market gap—may be holding back investment confidence.

We also take a deep dive into one of the week's most promising developments: the concept of Contracted Durability and the Permanence Trust, an innovative approach that could fundamentally change how reversal risk is managed in forest carbon markets. Along the way, we discuss portfolio approaches to climate investing, REDD+, forest carbon pricing, nature-based removals versus avoided emissions, and why protecting existing forests remains just as critical as planting new ones.

If you want a concise overview of where climate finance, forest carbon, and nature markets are heading—and what investors should be watching next—this episode provides an invaluable temperature check from one of the sector's most connected voices

00:00 – Introduction and overview of London Climate Action Week

01:00 – What London Climate Action Week is really like

03:33 – The biggest takeaway: markets and finance are working

05:16 – Missed sessions, FOMO, and key workshops on permanence

06:28 – Permanence, durability, and the Permanence Trust explained

10:04 – Demand-side challenges and signals from carbon buyers

12:42 – New standards, policy developments, and future demand drivers

16:47 – Reframing carbon market risk for investors

18:33 – Why buyers remain cautious despite growing confidence

20:27 – Portfolio investing and emerging buyer strategies

22:08 – Practical successes and innovations from the field

24:23 – REDD+, governance improvements, and social value measurement

25:46 – The true cost of high-integrity forest carbon

26:56 – Major announcements and promising new initiatives

28:00 – Policy discussions and the European outlook

30:22 – Investor preferences across forest carbon project types

33:28 – Super pollutants as an entry point to carbon markets

35:36 – Behind-the-scenes conversations and AI in climate finance

37:01 – Frustrations and three key messages from the week

38:29 – Looking ahead to London Climate Action Week in 2036

40:13 – Book recommendation and final reflections

40:51 – Revisiting the Permanence Trust and contracted durability

46:47 – Investment advice for newcomers to forest finance

47:44 – Closing remarks and where to learn more

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.

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SFM Agribusiness

From the Asset Vault: In this conversation, I'm joined by Andrew Morgan, Managing Director of SFM Agribusiness, one of Australia’s leading forest management operators - both for traditional timberland management and more recently, in plantation forest carbon projects. We explore the evolution of Australia’s compliance carbon forestry market and the benefits and challenges of the system's standards and methodological approaches for generating Australian Carbon Credit Units (or ACCUs). Andrew explains the mechanism of the market, pricing, and who the main buyers are. He goes on to describe SFM's “ActivAcre” model and how it is enabling landowners to partner with institutional investors for new forest investments. Andrew walks us through the logistic, regulatory, and social factors impacting land aggregation and how carbon credits are reshaping institutional forestry portfolios in Australia.

00:12 – Introduction and guest overview

00:48 – Andrew Morgan's background and SFM Agribusiness

03:17 – History of carbon forestry in Australia

06:31 – The four plantation carbon methodologies explained

09:06 – Why Australia needs more plantation forests

10:46 – How Australia's carbon market works

13:48 – Carbon credit buyers and market demand

15:20 – Voluntary vs compliance carbon markets

16:22 – Strengths and weaknesses of the compliance system

20:39 – Future supply and demand for Australian carbon credits

21:50 – Lessons from developing plantation carbon projects

23:44 – The Active Acre landowner partnership model

29:37 – Landowner engagement and scaling plantations

30:52 – Landowner concerns and long-term risk

35:21 – Institutional investor perspectives

38:39 – Evaluating land and building project pipelines

40:51 – Why major emitters invest directly in carbon projects

42:22 – Unlocking Australia's plantation forestry potential

44:34 – Emerging trends in carbon, biomass and biodiversity

48:51 – Advice for new forest investors

50:11 – Closing remarks and where to learn more

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.

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FutureVistas

https://holmgrenpeter.substack.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-holmgren-ab58319/?

Today, I’m joined by Peter Holmgren, Founder and Senior Advisor at FutureVistas, former Head of Climate Change at the FAO, and former Director General of CIFOR. In this conversation, Peter unpacks the growing debate surrounding the EU’s Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) regulation and its implications for forest management, timber production, and climate policy. We discuss the scientific controversies behind forest carbon accounting, the risks of short-term climate targets, and why reducing timber harvests may not deliver the climate benefits policymakers expect. Peter explains concepts such as leakage, substitution, and additionality, and shares his perspective on how current policy frameworks could affect forest owners, processors, and investors. We also explore the role of wood-based products in reducing society’s dependence on fossil-based materials and why production forestry remains central to Europe’s long-term sustainability and competitiveness.

• 0:12 Introduction and guest welcome
• 1:08 Peter Holmgren's forestry career and current work
• 2:18 What LULUCF means and why it matters
• 3:47 Is LULUCF a European or global issue?
• 5:40 Where policymakers have gone wrong
• 7:45 Scientific controversies around forest harvest and carbon neutrality
• 11:04 Short-term climate targets versus long-term forest management
• 13:10 Swedish example of reduced harvest and alternative management
• 16:06 Overview of the EU climate law and LULUCF regulation
• 20:57 Why reducing harvest is seen as the main tool to meet targets
• 22:04 Climate goals versus conservation goals
• 23:41 Which EU member states are struggling with LULUCF targets
• 25:25 Impacts on private forest landowners
• 29:36 Leakage, processing facilities, and competitiveness
• 30:42 What the regulation means for forest investors
• 33:05 Which countries are pushing for production forestry
• 34:46 How stakeholders can influence policy
• 36:43 Forests as a broader economic asset
• 38:24 Peter's current work with industry and policy
• 40:41 Do we have a sustainability problem in European forestry?
• 42:43 Substitution and reducing fossil dependence
• 44:48 Packaging, paper products, and climate benefits
• 46:06 Using every part of the tree and integrated value chains
• 48:01 Bio-based fuels and climate policy incentives
• 50:15 Advice for new forest investors
• 51:44 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.