Nature’s Returns: Investing in Ecosystem Services

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.