Nature’s Returns: Investing in Ecosystem Services

Nature’s Returns: Investing in Ecosystem Services

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In the Spring of 2012, the Center for Business and the Environment at Yale launched a special webinar series, Nature’s Returns: Investing in Ecosystem Services. This series of free, public webinars featured an introduction to the topic of Ecosystem Services and the perspective of practitioners in th…

The Yale Center for Business and the Environment


    • Mar 16, 2016 LATEST EPISODE
    • infrequent NEW EPISODES
    • 59m AVG DURATION
    • 31 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from Nature’s Returns: Investing in Ecosystem Services

    Large Scale Landscape Restoration: The Investment Case for Ecological and Regenerative Farming

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 16, 2016 59:57


    Paul McMahon from SLM Partners explores how the sustainability challenges of modern-day agriculture can be solved using ecological, regenerative farming systems that offer superior risk-adjusted returns on investments.

    [Nature's Returns] Protecting Nature: Landscape Scale Conservation in the United States

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 2, 2015 55:44


    In this webinar, Howell discusses his work at the Open Space Institute, a conservation organization that focuses on landscape scale conservation throughout the Eastern United States. Through recent projects spearheaded by OSI, Howell illustrates the challenges and opportunities that landscape-scale conservation presents, and shares his insight on current trends regarding conservation in the United States.

    [Nature's Returns] Mainstreaming Natural Capital into Decision-Making: Frontiers in Research and Policy

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 2, 2015 63:51


    During this webinar, Gretchen Daily, senior fellow at Stanford University and co-founder of the Natural Capital Project, presents the Natural Capital Project (NatCap) and its practical, science-based approach towards ecosystem service valuation. Highlighting the overarching mission of NatCap and the tools developed to realize its vision, Daily showcases projects where NatCap's work has influenced decision-making around the world.

    Mainstreaming Natural Capital into Decision-Making: Frontiers in Research Policy

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 19, 2015 63:47


    In this webinar, Gretchen Daily, senior fellow at Stanford University and co-founder of the Natural Capital Project (NatCap), will present the NatCap and its practical, science-based approach towards ecosystem service valuation. Highlighting the overarching mission of NatCap and the tools developed to realize its vision, Daily will showcase projects where NatCap's work has influenced decision-making around the world.

    Bright Spots for Resource Mobilisation: Regional Initiatives

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 19, 2015 56:36


    In this webinar, the speakers talk about the Micronesia Challenge and the Caribbean Challenge Initiative, regional models for leveraging large-scale public and private sector commitment towards common goals. Kostka and Batista highlight the enabling factors that support the regional trusts as financial vehicles to attract and provide long-term, sustainable funding for biodiversity conservation. They also detail how countries within their respective regions have capitalised on their natural resources to generate revenue for the trust funds.

    A Green Broker Network: Coyote Verde

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 3, 2014 60:46


    This week we feature the 2014 winners of the International Society of Tropical Foresters' (ISTF) Forest Finance Innovation Prize, Scott Landis, President of GreenWood and Yadira Molina Cruz, Director of Resource Management and Advocacy, Fundacion MaderaVerde. Founded two decades ago, the Green Broker Network combines technical training and practical research with savvy marketing and equitable financial relationships to create environmental, social, and economic benefits for forest communities and the recipients of their wood products.

    Strategic Financing Initiatives: Increasing Financial Flows to Locally Controlled Forestry

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 6, 2014 56:11


    Our featured speaker is Chris Meyer, Director of Business Development at Planting Empowerment. Planting Empowerment manages a complex mix of multiple products, species, and financial sources to facilitate increased financial flows to locally controlled forestry. It combines polyculture agroforestry plantations with a land lease model that generates increased social, environmental, and economic benefits for its land partners and other stakeholders.

    Investing for Superior Returns and Conservation Value

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 6, 2014 60:03


    Please join us for the 2013-2014 season of, "Nature's Returns: Investing in Ecosystem Services," coordinated by the Yale Center for Business and the Environment and the Conservation Finance Network, a program Island Press. Our featured speaker is Peter Stein from Lyme Timber. Peter will talk specifically about how Lyme Timber invests in forest and rural real estate for multiple values. He will discuss how Lyme Timber utilizes financial streams such as working forest conservation easements, New Market Tax Credits, wetland mitigation, advantageous debt arrangements, and other ecosystem service payments in addition to traditional forest product sales. Peter will present three case studies to illustrate how Lyme Timber structures transactions and manages forests for financial and ecological returns.

    Bridging the Gap: Securing High Conservation Value Forests for Future Generations

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 20, 2014 61:13


    Brian Dangler, Director of the New Forest Fund at the Conservation Fund, speaks on "Bridging the Gap: Securing High Conservation Value Forests for Future Generations" as part of 'Nature's Returns - Leadership in Domestic Forest: A New Webinar Series on Ecosystem Services.' New Forest Fund Director Brian Dangler is an expert in forestland acquisition and finance, with more than 20 years of experience. Brian has worked at the Fund since 2008. He holds an MBA from Thomas College and both a Masters and Bachelors of Forestry from the State University of New York.

    Silvicultural and Financial Innovation for Large Scale Restoration in the Mississippi Delta

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 31, 2014 60:43


    Chandler Van Voorhis, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of C2I, LLC, a conservation bank, will kick off our fourth mini-series addressing Leadership Domestic Forest Finance.

    National Ecosystem Services: How the USDA Facilitates and Participates in Conservation Incentives

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 16, 2014 60:03


    Robert Bonnie Senior Advisor for Environment and Climate, United States Department of Agriculture discusses how the USDA is using incentives to improve the economic viability and environmental integrity of agriculture. He reviews the risks and opportunities for public lands in ecosystem services transactions.

    Ecosystem Services: Perspectives from an Environmental Market Participant

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 16, 2014 58:55


    Jeff Reamer, Managing Director of Corporate Business Development with Evolution Markets, discusses the future of private sector engagement/investment in green markets, clean energy, and ecosystem services.

    Investing in Conservation: Market-Based Approaches

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 16, 2014 56:41


    Carrie Sanneman, Ecosystem Services Project Manager with The Willamette Partnership and Todd Gartner, Senior Associate, Conservation Incentives & Markets World Resources Institute, discuss how emerging incentive programs for ecosystem services provide a mechanism to restore resilient ecological systems by building connections between people who manage land and water and those who can invest in environmental improvement. “Investing in Conservation: Markets Based Approaches” covers current efforts and collaborations between both organizations, including examples of regulatory and pre-compliance markets, investment in drinking water supply, and applications to spur corporate investment in healthy ecosystems.

    Financing Mechanisms for Watershed Payments

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 16, 2014 65:06


    Genevieve Joyce Bennet, Research Analyst at Ecosystem Marketplace, and Katherine Hamilton, Strategic Advisor at Forest Trends’ Ecosystem Marketplace discuss the second installment of the ‘State of Watershed Payments’ series, an effort to globally track the size scope and directions of Investments in Watershed Services (IWS) as well as the ecological infrastructure from which they flow.

    The Role of Forests and Forest Owners in National Ecosystem Services Markets

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 16, 2014 60:37


    Laurie Wayburn Co-founder, Co-CEO, and President, Pacific Forest Trust, discusses how her organization, is currently exploring ecosystem services markets and payments as a tool to promote forest conservation in the West. She reviews how private forest landowners are currently engaging in these markets, and project current and future challenges to attracting more investments in American forests.

    Engaging US Producers in Conservation and Ecosystem Management

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 16, 2014 60:19


    Featured speaker Jimmy Daukas, Acting VP of Programs, American Farmland Trust, discusses how and where American farmers are benefitting from ecosystem services transactions. He reviews major trends in conservation investments on agricultural lands, and suggests solutions to key challenges confronting more widespread adoption of ecosystem services best-practice on US productive landscapes.

    Mitigation Banking: The Business Case for Protecting US Wetlands

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 16, 2014 92:00


    George Kelly, Founder of the Environmental Banc and Exchange (EBX) discusses the business case for restoring our nation’s critical ecosystems through mitigation banking. Using his professional experience, George reviews risks and opportunities for developers presented by domestic wetland regulations, and explores how mitigation banking works as a tool to balance conservation and development on multiple scales.

    Ecosystem Services and Corporate Strategy: The Nature Conservancy and The Dow Chemical Company

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 16, 2014 54:51


    Jennifer Molnar, Director of Sustainability Science, The Nature Conservancy, discusses a partnership with The Dow Chemical Company recognizing the value of ecosystem services in corporate strategy. She reviews the scientific, economic, and strategic aspects of the project.

    International Investments in Sustainable Forestry and Environmental Markets

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 16, 2014 70:04


    Radha Kuppalli, Director of Investor Services, New Forests, discusses the growing timberland asset class. Specifically, Radha highlights New Forest’s international approach to research, innovation, and responsible investment in the field of sustainable forestry and environmental markets. The company executes three timberland and environmental markets investment strategies in the Asia Pacific region and the United States.

    Conservation Investment and Restoration in the American West

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 16, 2014 55:06


    Robert Keith, Principal, Beartooth Capital Partners, discusses how to structure projects which create financial, ecological, and community value through restoration of natural resources on ranchlands.

    Lending for Ecological, Family, And Economic Resilience in the Pacific Northwest

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 18, 2013 57:10


    Brad Hunter Yale F&ES MF '02, Business Lender at Craft 3, continues the Ecosystem Services and Community Development mini-series by discussing how his firm strengthens economic, ecological, and familiy resilience in the Pacific Northwest through investments in local businesses and non-profits. Brad Hunter is a business lender with Craft3, a non-profit Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), based in Portland, Oregon. He manages the Conservation Bridge Fund, which provides financing for conservation land acquisitions in Oregon. Brad's background is in forest management and timberland investment. He worked as an investment analyst for a TIMO (Timberland Investment Management Organization) and a forester for a privately held timber company. Brad has a Master in Forestry from Yale FES and a MBA from University of North Carolina.

    Community Forests and Regional Economic Development

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 5, 2013 59:38


    Joe Short, Vice President of Northern Forest Center, continues the Ecosystem Services and Community Development mini-series by discussing community forest management and regional economic development.

    Soil to Soul: Investing in Land and Supply Chains

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 22, 2013 59:59


    Caroline MacGill, Managing Director of Armonia, LLC, speaks about how Armonia considers approaches to transforming grass-fed beef supply chains to support sustainable land management in the American West and beyond. Armonia, LLC, is a private investment firm that uses multiple forms of capital to support systemic shifts towards harmony and regeneration of soil, soul, and society.

    How The Nature Conservancy Utilizes Conservation Finance Notes and Other Mechanisms

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 14, 2013 58:38


    Charlotte Kaiser, Director of Innovative Finance at The Nature Conservancy, continues the Innovative Financial Tools mini-series by discussing TNC's use of Conservation Notes and other mechanisms to support conservation activities and organizational management.

    Innovative Financial Tools for Conservation: Local Business, Voluntary Surcharges, and Conservation Outcomes

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 13, 2013 56:19


    Molly Murfee, Executive Director, 1% for Open Space, discusses "Local Business, Voluntary Surcharges, and Conservation Outcomes" in Gunnison County Colorado.

    Investments in Green Infrastructure: Green Infrastructure Tools in the Nation's Capital

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 16, 2013 52:33


    The District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority (DC Water) is currently implementing a Long Term Control Plan (LTCP or DC Clean Rivers Project, DCCR) to control combined sewer overflows to Washington, DC's waterways. As part of the DCCR Project, DC Water's Green Infrastructure implementation efforts will be discussed by highlighting specific GI projects and initiatives.

    Investments in Green Infrastructure: Urban Stormwater Management in the Chesapeake Bay

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 16, 2013 55:35


    John Campagna, President of Restore Capital, continues the Green Infrastructure mini-series by discussing stormwater financing policy, advancing new business strategies for Chesapeake Bay restoration, and financing options for water quality projects.The presentation is followed by audience Q&A.

    Investments in Green Infrastructure: Private Investment in Green Infrastructure

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 16, 2013 61:28


    Featured speaker Ricardo Bayon, Partner and Co-Founder of EKO Asset Management Partners, kicks off the Fall 2013 Green Infrastructure mini-series by discussing private investment in natural infrastructure and the opportunities of ecosystem services markets in built environments. His presentation draws in particular from the case of Philadelphia, PA. The presentation is followed by audience Q&A.

    Introduction to Ecosystem Services

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 4, 2012 52:07


    Katherine Hamilton (’06 M.E.M.) of EcosystemMarketplace.com presents a primer on the topic of Ecosystem Services and takes questions from the audience.

    Ecosystem Services: An Investor’s Perspective

    Play Episode Listen Later May 4, 2012 53:45


    Cliff Sunda, Resident Forester with Working Lands Investment Partners, LLC presents his work and that of WLIP in the field of Ecosystem Services and especially wetland mitigation banking, plus takes questions from the audience.

    Ecosystem Services: An NGO Perspective

    Play Episode Listen Later May 2, 2012 54:31


    Sheila Walsh, Senior Scientist with The Nature Conservancy’s Sustainability Science Program presents her work and the approach taken by TNC and NGO’s in the field of Ecosystem Services, plus takes questions from the audience.

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