“ACTS OF CREATION ARE ORDINARILY RESERVED FOR GODS AND POETS. TO PLANT A TREE, ONE NEED ONLY OWN A SHOVEL.”
ALDO LEOPOLD
About Forest Leaders
Experienced forestry leadership for long-term assets
Forest Leaders was established to provide forest owners, trustees, and investors with clear judgement, professional oversight, and disciplined management of forest assets.
We work with forests as long-term investments and stewardship responsibilities, where decision quality, independence, and risk management matter more than activity alone.
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Why Forest Leaders exists
Many forest owners face complex decisions without clear, independent guidance.
Markets change. Regulation evolves. Ownership structures become more complex. The consequences of poor decisions often emerge years later.
Forest Leaders exists to:
support informed, defensible decision making
provide continuity and oversight over time
protect long term value in changing conditions
bridge the gap between advice and execution
Our role is to help owners understand what they have, what their options are, and when action is warranted.
How we work
Forest Leaders operates at the intersection of advisory judgement and practical management.
We:
start with clarity of objectives and constraints
apply disciplined decision-making frameworks
separate advice from execution where appropriate
manage risk explicitly, not implicitly
align involvement with asset needs over time
This allows us to work effectively with a wide range of clients, from passive landowners to complex multi-owner and investment structures.
Our experience
Forest Leaders’ work is grounded in decades of experience across:
plantation and carbon forestry
native forest protection and restoration
ETS structure, compliance, and strategy
land use change and long-term planning
governance, reporting, and investor engagement
This experience informs both our advice and our management approach.
Independence and judgement
We are not driven by contracting volume or short-term activity.
Forest Leaders is prepared to:
recommend restraint or deferral where appropriate
advise against investment or conversion when risks outweigh benefits
say when management is not require
This independence is fundamental to the trust placed in us by owners and fiduciaries.
Professional standards
Forest Leaders operates to recognised professional and ethical standards.
Our work is guided by:
professional forestry practice
regulatory and compliance requirements
transparency and accountability
long-term stewardship principles
We work comfortably within governance frameworks that require clear authority, documentation, and reporting.
Who we work with
We work with:
private forest owners and families
trustees and intergenerational ownership groups
investors and landholding entities
organisations requiring independent forestry expertise
Clients engage with us for advisory input, ongoing oversight, or full management, depending on their needs.
Relationship to our services
Forest Leaders offers a structured pathway of engagement:
Advisory for independent advice and decision support
Forest Oversight Retainer for continuity and informed oversight
Full Forest Management where active management is required
Clients may enter at any stage. Some remain advisory-only. Others transition as objectives and requirements evolve.
Talk to us
If you are seeking experienced forestry leadership, independent judgement, and a long-term approach to forest assets, we are happy to talk.
James Treadwell
James is a NZIF Registered Professional Forester, a recognition he has been judged by his peers as being at the top of his game. He is also the current President, a position he has held for 10 years. James must adhere to the NZIF code of ethics and his work is independently reviewed to maintain his place as a Registered Forest Professional.
WHAT OUR INVESTORS ARE SAYING
“Their understanding of the risks around planting and the success rate they achieve is second to none”
Lucy
“I have loved the opportunity to get more than just a return from my investment, I enjoy spending time on the property with my family”
Ed
“They always have time for their investors”
Fiona
“Forest Leaders seem to have all the contacts, every issue (forest, finance, government) they seem to be able to find the right people to get it solved quickly”
Mark
“Their communication is fantastic, I always feel informed and I love learning more about my investment”
Andrew
“My confidence in Forest Leaders comes from their real depth of industry experience combined with their clear focus, transparency and open communication”
Jonathan
"This investment has helped me understand the key variables of the forestry industry, and that attention to detail on genetics, mapping, planting, tracks, etc is pivotal to a successful investment”
Terry
“Forest leaders are likely to be the country’s leading experts in their field. Work-ups are detailed with relevant information supported with responsive and concise communication”
Lindsay
“Learning about the investment and the basics of forestry has added to my satisfaction with my investment”
Chris
“Forest Leaders work hard to ensure we have all the information we need, communication can not be faulted”
Nathan