Women Shaping Pennsylvania’s Forests
This article first appeared on DCNR’s Linkedin.com webpage. Click Here for a PDF version of the article.
From Mira Lloyd Dock’s pioneering leadership to the work of today’s Community Forestry Specialists, women have shaped Pennsylvania’s landscapes for more than a century.
Their efforts—past and present—demonstrate how conservation is strengthened by diverse voices, partnerships, and a shared belief in the power of trees to transform places and lives.
At the turn of the twentieth century, Mira Lloyd Dock emerged as one of Pennsylvania’s most influential conservationists at a time when women could not vote or hold most scientific positions.
Born in Harrisburg in 1853, Dock dreamed of a life in the laboratory.
She once said that “to have a lab, and slave* from morning to night in field work, or with microscope, was my dream of joy,” but she came to understand that discrimination made a laboratory career unlikely despite her studies in botany, chemistry, and geology.
She had attended the University of Michigan at the time, and left to redirect her passion towards public lecturing, civic reform, and the emerging field of forestry.
Dock became a powerful voice in the City Beautiful movement, a national effort to improve urban environments through parks, trees, and thoughtful planning.
Her 1900 speech, “The City Beautiful, or Improvement Work at Home and Abroad,” delivered to the Harrisburg Board of Trade, helped drive important improvements in the community-- including paved streets, modernized sewer and water systems, the construction of playgrounds, and the creation and expansion of parks. Her advocacy helped turn Harrisburg into a healthier, greener, and more livable city.
In 1901, Dock's influence soon extended statewide as Governor William A. Stone appointed her to the Pennsylvania State Forestry Reservation Commission – making her the first woman appointed or elected to any Pennsylvania state government position.
She served for twelve years, conducting extensive fieldwork to identify lands for reforestation at a time when decades of logging had stripped the state nearly bare.
By the time she stepped down in 1913, Pennsylvania’s forest reserves had grown to nearly one million acres.
She also taught at the State Forest School at Mont Alto (which became Penn State Mont Alto) helping shape the next generation of foresters.
Mira Lloyd Dock’s legacy is still visible today in Pennsylvania’s forests, parks, and conservation institutions. It also lives on in the women who continue her work—especially those advancing community forestry across the Commonwealth.
Carrying The Legacy Forward
The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ (DCNR) Bureau of Forestry has expanded its Urban and Community Forestry program in recent years, strengthening partnerships with municipalities and helping communities care for their trees.
Central to this effort are three Community Forestry Specialists, all women, whose work echoes Dock’s commitment to education, civic engagement, and greener communities.
These specialists help towns and cities understand the importance of trees in the local area, and support sustainable tree management through planning, planting, and long-term care.
They assist with grant applications, connect communities to technical and financial resources, and offer guidance on species selection, hazard tree mitigation, and maintenance practices.
Providing education and outreach through programs like Tree Tenders and workforce development trainings, tailoring their support to the unique needs and challenges of each region.
Suzanne Hartley – Southcentral Region
Suzanne Hartley focuses on strengthening connections between people and the landscapes where they live.
She works with communities of all sizes across Southcentral Pennsylvania, listening to local needs and linking municipalities to technical and financial resources to care for their trees.
One of her most meaningful experiences involved helping plant trees at McCaskey East High School in Lancaster County, just a few miles from where her own high school tree planting experience set her on a path toward conservation.
She sees her role as creating opportunities for residents to shape the ecosystems right outside their doors.
Orsi Lazar – Southeast Region
Orsi Lazar joined DCNR after more than a decade in the green industry and became the bureau’s first Community Tree Specialist.
Since she started 3 years ago, the interest in urban forestry and demand for resources have drastically increased.
Growing awareness about the benefits of trees like heat mitigation, flood reduction, and improved health and social connections are contributing to this demand.
Her work includes helping organizations apply for funding, providing technical assistance, teaching about tree care, and supporting workforce development.
Some of the common requests are for species selection, pruning workshops, and troubleshooting.
She emphasizes that while funding is essential, long-term success depends on knowledgeable residents and well-trained professionals who can care for trees in challenging urban environments.
Emily Shosh – Northcentral/Northeast Region
Emily Shosh’s work spans both rural and urban areas in the northern tier. She coordinates site visits, supports grassroots efforts, and helps municipalities navigate funding opportunities, education, and other tree needs.
She values meeting communities where they are, whether at local events, planting days, or town meetings, and she sees great potential in community science and local engagement.
Even rural, small-scale projects, she notes, can have a significant impact in rural areas where resources may be limited but community commitment runs deep.
A Continuing Story of Women in Conservation
As Pennsylvania celebrates Women’s History Month, the legacy of women in forestry continues to grow across the Commonwealth’s forests, cities, communities, and beyond.
*This quote appears here in its original historical form. It includes language and comparisons that do not reflect DCNR’s values, mission, or standards we uphold. The term “slave” is sometimes used metaphorically to describe intense work, but this usage minimizes the reality of slavery’s violence and oppression. By preserving the historical wording, DCNR acknowledges its impact and encourages reflection and learning as a part of building a more accurate and inclusive understanding of the past.
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[Posted: March 11, 2026] PA Environment Digest
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