Episode 205 - Orsolya (Orsi) Lazar is an urban forester and an ISA Certified Arborist.

Orsolya (Orsi) Lazar is an urban forester, an ISA Certified Arborist and a Pennsylvania (PA) Certified Horticulturalist in Sustainable Landscapes. Her unconventional path to forestry began with a Master’s Degree in Ecology and a Master’s Degree in Molecular and Cell Biology. She has over 20 years of experience in landscape design and management, project management, and education.Orsi became the first Community Tree Specialist at Pennsylvania DCNR’s Urban and Community Forestry Program. She helps shape this growing program to better serve communities by building trust, identifying opportunities, and finding creative solutions to challenges. She works with municipalities and non-profits toincrease tree benefits, manage costs and risks, and creates green spaces that suit people’s needs.She is a member of the Pennsylvania Landscape and Nursery Association and is in the group that is working on updating the PA Certified Horticulturist study manual.Orsi has taught gardening and tree care for diverse audiences, including workforce developmentprograms.  Many local parks have benefited from her technical assistance and plant donations. She created a tree inventory and installed hundreds ofbotanical signs at Merion Botanical Park as a pro bono contribution to her own community. Her “Responsible Gardening” Facebook group helps local gardenersconnect and share sustainable, evidence-based practices.When not in the garden or a park, she enjoys teaching tricks to her border collie or is on the dance floor practicing ballroom and Latin dancing.