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NatureVest (The Nature Conservancy)

The Cumberland Forest Project

Blended Finance

Today, I’m joined by Greg Meade, Cumberland Forest Project Director at NatureVest. In this conversation, Greg explains how the Cumberland Forest Project was structured as a closed-end private investment fund designed to put conservation and community outcomes on equal footing with financial return. We talk about blended finance, sustainable timber harvesting, carbon offsets, conservation easements, renewable energy, and the project’s community fund in rural Appalachia. Greg also shares what NatureVest has learned from building this model, how the fund is performing relative to US timberland benchmarks, and what investors and forest managers can take away from this whole-forest-value approach.

00:12 – Introduction to Forest Invest

00:34 – Greg Meade’s favorite tree: sourwood

01:32 – Greg Meade’s background in forestry

03:07 – What NatureVest does

03:30 – Overview of the Cumberland Forest Project

04:38 – Fund assets and geography

05:51 – Blended finance and concessional debt

09:49 – Who invested in the fund

11:54 – How the project differs from traditional TIMOs

13:27 – Exit strategy and protecting long-term impact

15:48 – Forest management and revenue streams

18:05 – Community fund and local economies

20:41 – Mineral royalties and reclaimed coal revenue

23:35 – Revenue diversification across the portfolio

26:21 – Investor concerns about geographic concentration

27:40 – Local staff and operational setup

29:54 – Impact outcomes achieved so far

33:37 – Financial performance

34:06 – Lessons learned

38:32 – Advice for replicating the model

40:40 – What’s next for NatureVest

43:37 – Advice for new forest investors

44:52 – 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)

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Spar Tree Group

Today, I’m joined by David Elstone, managing director of Spar Tree Group and author of View from the Stump. In this conversation, David unpacks the current state of the British Columbia forest sector and explains why this globally important wood basket is facing such intense pressure. We discuss the long decline in timber harvest and lumber production, the legacy of the mountain pine beetle, mill closures, log exports, and the structural differences between BC’s coast and interior. David also shares his perspective on old growth deferrals, First Nations reconciliation, wildfire risk, forest policy, and why a clearer regional economic strategy is needed to make BC forestry more competitive and investable.

0:10 Welcome to Forest Invest with Shauna Matkovich

0:53 David Elstone on his background and Spar Tree Group

3:08 The current state of the forest sector in British Columbia

4:42 Why BC matters in global wood markets

10:23 Log exports, mill closures, and domestic demand

19:45 Internal versus external pressures on BC forestry

25:28 Key actors and the biggest challenges facing the sector

28:48 Policy changes and old-growth deferrals

34:15 Conservation, wildfire, and active forest management

38:17 Private timberland, AAC, and structural change in BC

42:13 Where private investors may still find opportunity

47:07 What would make BC forestry more investable and competitive

50:32 Why there is no single fix for the sector

51:39 David Elstone’s advice for new forest investors

52:53 Where to learn more about Spar Tree Group

53:37 Closing remarks with Shauna Matkovich

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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Biodiversity Credit Alliance

Kratom tree

Today, I’m joined by Manesh Lacoul, Global Coordinator of the Biodiversity Credit Alliance. In this conversation, Manesh explains how biodiversity credit markets are taking shape and why credibility must be built in from the start. We discuss the key lessons emerging from carbon markets, including the need to prioritize integrity, inclusion, equity, and innovation rather than treating them as afterthoughts. Manesh shares how the Biodiversity Credit Alliance is bringing together stakeholders across the market to develop principles, assessment tools, and comparability frameworks that can support high-integrity growth. We also talk about buyer integrity, the different use cases for biodiversity credits, the growing role of governments, and what investors and project developers should be paying attention to as this market evolves.

0:09 Welcome to Forest Invest with Shauna Matkovich

1:14 Manesh Lacoul on his role at the Biodiversity Credit Alliance

3:30 The key actors shaping biodiversity credit markets

5:58 What success looks like: integrity, inclusion, equity, and innovation

7:17 Lessons biodiversity markets should learn from carbon markets

12:44 Inclusion and equity across different local contexts

15:37 Market readiness on the buy and sell side

19:00 Why buyer integrity matters as much as supplier integrity

24:47 How current biodiversity credit buyers are approaching the market

26:52 Where biodiversity credit activity is emerging globally

28:58 The EU roadmap for nature credits

31:14 Biodiversity stacked on carbon credits

32:31 Biodiversity credits versus payment for ecosystem services

35:04 How new buyers, investors, and developers can get started

37:58 Why there are so many methodologies and whether consolidation will happen

41:01 High-level principles, assessment tools, and comparability frameworks

44:10 Why growing government involvement is encouraging

46:02 Advice for forest investors and the role of biodiversity credits in production forests

48:21 Where to find Biodiversity Credit Alliance resources

48:36 Closing remarks with Shauna Matkovich

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.