Natural Capital Investment: What Happens Beyond Timber and Carbon Objectives with Cakey Worthington

The ForestLink newsletter sign-upAurora Sustainable LandsAurora on LinkedInToday, I'm joined by Cakey Worthington, Senior Vice President of Sustainability and Natural Capital at Aurora Sustainable Lands. In this conversation, Cakey explains how Aurora has evolved from a carbon-focused investment strategy into a broader natural capital approach—one that values biodiversity, water, recreation, and other ecosystem services alongside financial returns. We discuss why carbon stewardship is replacing carbon maximization, how active forest management can strengthen both ecological resilience and long-term investment performance, and what investors should look for when evaluating natural capital asset managers. Cakey also shares how Aurora integrates field data, AI, remote sensing, and biodiversity monitoring across 1.65 million acres of forestland and why partnerships, transparency, and measurable outcomes will shape the future of institutional forest investment."Our investors didn't invest in a fund—they invested in Aurora. That gives us the freedom to think beyond short-term returns and make management decisions that improve forest health, carbon outcomes, and ecosystem value for decades."0:00 – Intro & favorite tree (the American white oak) 2:48 – Cakey's background and Aurora's origin story 8:01 – Investor profile and company structure 10:49 – From carbon strategy to natural capital 13:27 – What "natural capital" signals for the industry 16:56 – Harvesting operations and the evolving carbon strategy 19:42 – What to look for in a natural capital asset manager 23:56 – Data collection and operational decision-making 32:03 – Ecosystem services: insurance, communities, and other stakeholders 33:23 – Carbon stewardship vs. carbon maximization 40:08 – Lessons from adaptive, landscape-scale management 42:44 – Combining field data, remote sensing, and AI for monitoring 50:56 – The ISFC Natural Capital Project 53:37 – Balancing commercial returns with ecological outcomes 55:50 – Optimism for the future of natural capital 58:46 – Advice for investors new to forest investment 59:44 – Where to learn more about Aurora Sustainable LandsFounding 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.