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Forest Invest

Forest Invest

By: Shauna Matkovich
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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.

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Shauna Matkovich Economics Personal Finance
Episodes
  • Building Biodiversity Credit Markets from the Ground Up - with Manesh Lacoul

    Building Biodiversity Credit Markets from the Ground Up - with Manesh Lacoul
    Mar 30 2026

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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.


    “In carbon markets, integrity came more as an afterthought. For biodiversity, integrity must go hand in hand with market development.”


    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.
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    49 mins
  • Tele-operated Forestry Operations with Merritt Jenkins

    Tele-operated Forestry Operations with Merritt Jenkins
    Mar 23 2026

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    Kodama


    Today, I’m joined by Merritt Jenkins, CEO and Co-founder of Kodama Systems. In this conversation, Merritt explains how Kodama is using tele-operation and automation to run forestry equipment remotely, starting with skidders in the southeastern US. We discuss the technology behind the system, including Starlink connectivity, real-time video feeds, LiDAR, GPS, and onboard computing, and what it takes to make that technology reliable in tough forest conditions. Merritt also shares how remote skidding can help address some of the industry’s biggest challenges, from operator shortages and long commutes to physical strain and safety risk. We also explore the practical questions logging contractors ask around productivity, terrain, maintenance, and cost, before looking at what’s next for Kodama as the company expands into new regions and machine types.


    “It's very challenging for logging business owners to find skidder operators. Whether you're in BC or the Florida panhandle, it's really the same theme—the industry is aging out, and the younger generation just isn’t as motivated to do this type of work.”


    0:19 Meet Merritt Jenkins of Kodama Systems

    0:28 Favorite tree: Southern yellow pine

    0:53 Merritt’s background and Kodama origins

    1:26 What Kodama does: remote skidding

    2:28 Technology stack: Starlink, cameras, LiDAR, GPS

    4:17 Ruggedising hardware for forestry conditions

    5:17 Compatible skidders and OEM integration

    7:43 Addressing the forestry labour shortage

    10:23 PS5 controllers for machine operation

    11:15 Remote site awareness and mapping

    13:55 Key industry pain points solved

    15:00 Logger concerns: costs and operations

    16:08 Remote operation across locations and time zones

    18:11 Cameras, visibility, and maintenance

    20:35 Terrain handling and machine feedback

    23:02 Business model and day rates

    25:48 Ideal operating environments

    26:51 Logger reactions and adoption

    29:14 Collaboration with logging crews

    30:26 Kodama team and skill sets

    32:00 Lessons learned in the field

    33:15 Future plans and expansion

    34:07 Safety systems and fail-safes

    35:35 Where to learn more

    36:05 Outro


    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.
    Show more Show less
    36 mins
  • Drone Reforestation at Scale: How Ki Reforestation Is Restoring Burned & Remote Forests in Canada with Trevor Grant

    Drone Reforestation at Scale: How Ki Reforestation Is Restoring Burned & Remote Forests in Canada with Trevor Grant
    Mar 16 2026
    The ForestLink newsletter signupKi ReforestationKi Reforestation (Instagram)This episode is brought to you by Ki Reforestation, a Canadian reforestation technology company restoring difficult landscapes using drone seeding, with a seed-agnostic approach and an Indigenous-aligned ecological restoration model. Today, I’m joined by Trevor Grant, Founder & CEO of Ki, to unpack Canada’s growing reforestation deficit and why new tools are needed to rebuild forests after increasingly severe wildfires — especially in steep, remote terrain where traditional crews face safety and access constraints. We dig into Ki’s system, from heavy-lift autonomous drones and real-time environmental sensing to AI-informed seeding prescriptions and the “magic sauce” behind the work: pharmaceutical-grade seed encapsulation designed to improve soil contact and reduce predation and withstand environmental factors. Trevor also shares where drone seeding is (and isn’t) a fit, early field learnings since 2022, how costs can compare to manual planting, and what Ki is building next through a proposed five-year R&D program with academic, government, industry, and Indigenous partners. Learn more and join Ki on its mission through visiting Ki's website.“We’re able to tailor density down to the number of seeds dispersed per square meter and adjust prescriptions in real time based on slope, soil, vegetation, and microsite conditions observed during flight.”0:10 Introduction to Forest Invest0:20 Sponsor spotlight: Ki Reforestation1:01 Meet Trevor Grant, Founder and CEO of Ki Reforestation1:12 Trevor’s favourite tree and why it stands out 2:21 The origin story behind Ki Reforestation 3:32 Canada’s wildfire crisis and the reforestation deficit 4:36 Restoring forests after wildfire: timing, access, and safety 5:27 How Ki’s drone seeding technology works 7:20 Heavy-lift drones, species mixes, and microsite planting 10:00 Seed encapsulation: the core innovation behind the model 12:53 Can drone seeding compete with manual tree planting? 17:08 Ki’s use cases: harvesting, wildfire recovery, and mine-site rehabilitation 19:44 Where aerial direct seeding is not the right fit 20:56 What Ki knows so far, and what still needs to be proven 22:11 Field trials, early results, and lessons learned since 2022 24:03 Indigenous partnerships and holistic restoration approaches 25:18 Customers, collaborators, and the 5-year research programme 28:39 What governments should ask before choosing an aerial reforestation company 31:08 Addressing scepticism and proving where the technology works 33:00 Seed sourcing, supply bottlenecks, and planning timelines 37:09 Government interest, funding gaps, and public-sector support 38:55 Carbon markets, additionality, and who should benefit 41:19 Why Ki is taking a slower, research-first approach 42:18 What excites Trevor most about Ki’s current stage 43:33 The future of Ki beyond Canada 45:33 Where to learn more and get involvedFounding Director and Host: Shauna Matkovich - The ForestLinkProducer and Editor: Magdalena Laas - Unscripted CreativesNature by MaxKoMusic/SoundcloudSopwell Woodlands and Scohaboy Bog SAC, Cloughjordan, Co Tipperary, IRELAND by wild_rumpus/SoundcloudAmbient 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.
    Show more Show less
    47 mins
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