Future Forests Rooted in Nature. Driven by Impact.
OUR STORY
MEET THE FOUNDERS
What sets Future Forests apart is the founders’ lived experience. Alan spent decades bridging the gap between global institutions and local realities in Indonesia. Dick built international partnerships and trained organizations worldwide to scale mission-driven work. Together, they bring a rare combination of vision, execution experience, and trusted relationships across governments, communities, and investors.
From Farms to Forests: A Lifelong Mission
For our CEO Alan Prouty, the journey to Future Forests began decades ago on a small farm in Massachusetts and took root in the most unexpected places: rural Colombia, Malaysian government offices, Dayak villages in Borneo, and remote Indonesian islands. After studying American Studies at university, Alan joined the Peace Corps, a decision that led him to Colombia as an agricultural extension worker.
For three years, he traveled from farm to farm, bringing practical solutions—better seeds, fertilizers, farming techniques—directly to communities who needed them most.
That hands-on approach to development would shape his entire career and now defines Future Forests’ model: conservation that directly improves local livelihoods.
A master’s degree in resource economics at UMass followed, then policy work in Malaysia’s Prime Minister’s Office, and finally large-scale development programs in North Borneo and across Indonesia. There, Alan built relationships—and fluency in Bahasa Indonesia—that span 40 years and form the backbone of Future Forests’ work today.
Partnerships that scale impact
“Partnerships,” Dick Prouty says, “are essential to getting things done at scale.”
While Alan was immersed in Asia, his brother Dick was leading Project Adventure, a global nonprofit rooted in the principles of Outward Bound. Dick spent decades building partnerships across the U.S., Japan, Australia, and beyond—learning how to take complex programs into entirely new cultural contexts. “Partnerships,” he says, “are essential to getting things done at scale.”
In 2016, he and Alan were sketching out the idea for Future Forests: a company that could combine deep local knowledge, proven development models, and private-sector investment to restore forests, protect biodiversity, and support communities.
The vision for future forests
Future Forests is laying the groundwork for a new model of forest restoration—one that brings together high-integrity carbon projects, thriving ecosystems, and lasting community benefits.
With early projects in Costa Rica and Indonesia, the goal is to prove what’s possible and then scale this impact across regions, technologies, and partnerships. Over time, the ambition is to restore vast areas of tropical forest, regenerate soils, and support both biodiversity and local livelihoods on a meaningful scale.
why now and why it matters
"If we can bring natural system restoration to scale—and inspire others to copy us—we have a chance to make it.”
Climate change is accelerating, biodiversity loss is staggering, and yet natural climate solutions like reforestation could deliver over 30% of the emissions reductions needed by 2030. Governments can’t do it alone. Corporates and investors are stepping in—but they want high-quality, transparent, and community-driven projects.
Future Forests delivers exactly that: large-scale reforestation rooted in decades of local experience, rigorous science, and a commitment to the people who depend on these ecosystems. As Dick puts it: “If we can bring natural system restoration to scale—and inspire others to copy us—we have a chance to make it.”