Second Nature

Carbon markets could be the backbone of climate finance.

Shannon Smith, Chief Commercial Officer at Chestnut Carbon, joins Rich Stockdale PhD to unpack one of the most controversial tools in climate finance. From planting 30,000 acres of diverse forests to signing a 25-year, 7-million-tonne carbon removal deal with Microsoft, Chestnut Carbon is moving at scale. Backed by JP Morgan, powered by LIDAR and data science, their projects aim to rebuild trust in an industry riddled with scandals.

This conversation gets into the big questions: can we value nature without selling it out? What happens when Wall Street meets the wild? And is this the bold new future of climate action — or its biggest gamble yet?

Lauren Carrol, Chief Operating Officer at BrewDog, takes us inside one of the most talked-about sustainability moves in business: the acquisition — and sale — of The Lost Forest.

From a dinner with David Attenborough to buying a Scottish estate, BrewDog has never shied away from bold, ambitious action. Their decision to pass Kinrara Estate on to Oxygen Conservation reflects a recognition that the project’s scale and long-term potential could be best realised through dedicated conservation stewardship.

We dive into Carrol’s unconventional career path, the evolution of BrewDog’s brand, and the tension between commercial growth and environmental responsibility. She talks culture, leadership, and what it really takes to scale a rebellious beer company.

This isn’t just about brewing. It’s about whether global brands can balance profit with purpose — and what happens when they try.

What if the systems meant to protect nature are actually holding it back? Tim Graham has spent 20 years inside the world of conservation, and he’s not afraid to call out what’s broken—and what’s possible.

From reviving lost species and shaping national policy, to navigating bureaucracy and ethical minefields, Tim takes us behind the scenes of nature recovery like few others can. Rewilding isn’t just a concept—it’s a way to engage people, spark action, and challenge the status quo. He shares bold ideas that often go unheard, exposes where we’ve stalled, and asks the questions that will define the next decade of ecology.

This isn’t a gentle discussion. It’s a challenge: to rethink, question, and push conservation further than ever before. Are you ready to be provoked—and inspired?

What if farming wasn’t broken — just funded the wrong way?

Paul McMahon, Managing Director of SLM Partners, joins Rich to reveal how regenerative agriculture and forestry can become profitable, scalable, and investable.

From cattle that restore grasslands to continuous-cover forestry, from carbon markets to “lighthouse” farms inspiring the next generation — this is about turning food and forests into a future worth backing.

It’s finance, farming, and climate — but not as you know them.

What if the future of energy isn’t in building new projects — but rebuilding smarter ones?

Franjo Salic, Chief Investment Officer at CEE Group, joins Rich in Rotterdam to reveal how repowering and hybridisation are transforming renewables. From turning a 50 MW solar farm into 140 MW on the same land, to combining wind, solar, and storage into resilient super-sites, Franjo explains the real innovations powering Europe’s clean energy transition.

They dive into the economics of risk and return, the challenges of finding top talent, and why culture matters as much as technology. And at the heart of it all: Franjo’s belief that renewable energy is about more than returns — it’s about leaving a legacy strong enough for the next generation.

This isn’t theory. It’s the future of energy, built today.

What if the conversations everyone else avoids are the ones we most need to hear?

Shoot Room Sessions isn’t about safe answers or polite headlines — it’s about sitting down with people brave enough to rewrite the rules. Entrepreneurs, rebels, innovators, and misfits who don’t wait for permission.

🌍 A huge thank you to our sponsor, Knight Frank, for making these conversations possible. Their support helps us dive deep into the crucial topics shaping a more sustainable world.

Subscribe now and be part of the journey—because the future of conservation starts here!

Forget what you think you know about conservation.

Jake Fiennes, Director of Conservation at Holkham Estate, is rewriting the rules of land management, biodiversity, and environmental investment in the UK. From bringing cattle egrets and white-tailed eagles back to Norfolk skies, to challenging centuries-old subsidy systems, to asking why ancient woodlands are still undervalued—this episode doesn’t shy away from the hard questions.

We dig into the economics of nature, the politics of policy, and the power of bold, private action to create lasting change. Jake doesn’t just manage land—he transforms it, proving that conservation can be ambitious, profitable, and spectacular all at once.

If you care about the future of our countryside, the survival of species, and how private landowners can reshape the game, this is a conversation you can’t afford to miss.

Jim Murray’s journey spans the bright lights of hit TV dramas, the creative world of art, and the urgent, often overlooked fight to save Britain’s rivers. As an actor, artist, and conservationist, he’s witnessed the highs and lows of industries that thrive on fear, desperation, and competition — and he’s discovered that the courage to stand your ground matters just as much on a riverbank as it does on a stage.

Our discussion moves between the collapse of wild Atlantic salmon — whose numbers have dropped by 90% in just 50 years — and the choices we all face when deciding what we’re willing to fight for. It’s about power, responsibility, and using your voice for causes that truly matter.

From navigating a competitive career to sounding a clarion call for a species on the brink, Jim’s story challenges you to ask: where do you draw your line, and what will you risk to protect it?

Listen to The Last Salmon Podcast here: https://open.spotify.com/show/4vMbKt8JwOtUJ1NT9orQUW?si=d429a33dd37c4c22

This recording takes place at the Opus Sales Gallery, set within the heart of Bankside Yards — Native Land’s flagship £2.5 billion development on the South Bank and the UK’s first fossil fuel-free major mixed-use neighbourhood. Opus was the first residential building to launch at Bankside Yards earlier this year and will become the tallest residential tower in prime central London.

What if the environment sector doesn’t really exist?

Guy Thompson, MD of EnTrade, sits down in the Shoot Room to challenge the very idea of the sector, explore why £3 trillion in potential returns are being ignored, and ask whether nature markets are truly about environmental restoration—or just clever offsets. From regulatory roadblocks to bold innovation, we tackle the uncomfortable truths holding back investment in nature.

Guy argues that without disruption, new technologies, and fresh business models, the sector will never be worthy of its name. We dig into what it will actually take to make nature markets investable, scalable, and genuinely impactful.

This isn’t polite policy chat—it’s disruption, opportunity, and the fight to make nature markets real.

What does it take to run 694 acres of land, transform lakes and waterways, and launch a sustainable tourism program that wows hundreds of visitors - all while rewriting the rules of estate management?

The Shoot Room Sessions travelled to Manor Farm to sit down with Ashlee Murrell, our estate manager at Manor Farm, to hear her untraditional journey from Manchester to Norfolk, from wedding planning chaos to running one of the most dynamic estates in the country. She shares the challenges, the triumphs, and the moments that make it all worth it.

Listen in if you want to see how ambition, humility, and a love for the land can reshape leadership—and maybe make you rethink what’s possible.

Want to stay at the beautiful Manor Farm Estate, book your getaway now: https://www.wildwithnature.co.uk/