A Lifelong Passion for Trees

Meet Lauren Marshall, Senior Manager, Program Innovation

Lauren Marshall is one of the newest additions to the Arbor Day Foundation team. With experience in both rural and urban forestry, she brings important insights and expertise to the work the Foundation and our tree planting partners do every day.

But these insights don’t only stem from the job titles she has held. Her passion for trees runs deep, having grown over the course of a lifetime.

How It All Began

Lauren grew up in suburban Washington, D.C. — the place where she first developed her connection to the natural world. Forest patches were scattered throughout her family’s neighborhood, and those trees were her playground. “I grew up with parents who really just let me run wild in the neighborhood. And then at dinner, they would call out the door. I would emerge from whatever forest I had been scrapping around and come in to eat,” said Lauren. “When I think about trees, even today, there’s this deeply entwined sense of home and family for me. That stems from those early playtimes as a kid.”

As she moved on to college, that passion only grew. She studied plant science at Cornell University and had the opportunity to study abroad in Costa Rica. She interviewed indigenous farmers who were part of an organic banana cooperative, learning more about how they grew their bananas as a part of forest systems and the economic benefits that these systems provided. It was then that everything fell into place for Lauren. “What I realized on this trip was that what I really loved was studying the way people interact with the land and how that influences ecology, health, and biodiversity.”

After completing her undergraduate studies, she got her master’s degree in landscape architecture from the University of Michigan.

Her Time at the USDA Forest Service

In her final year of grad school, she was accepted into the USDA Forest Service’s Presidential Management Fellows Program. This led to a long and successful career working in several different facets of forestry. Lauren worked to restore millions of acres of forest landscape, helped to develop some of the first national geospatial reporting requirements, and even spearheaded design work to make recreational infrastructure more sustainable. She also looked for opportunities to help grow markets for innovative wood products.

After making her mark in National Forests, Lauren got an opportunity to work in urban forestry. She accepted a position as the National Program Manager for Urban and Community Forestry — helping to connect partners, grow capacity, and spur innovation within urban and community forestry. “I like to work across the landscape,” said Lauren. “I’m really interested in sustainability, from the trees on our National Forest and in wilderness areas all the way down to the tree that’s outside your back door.”

Bringing Her Expertise to the Arbor Day Foundation

With a career history focused on trees and a Ph.D. thesis almost complete, Lauren is now putting her knowledge and passion to use in the nonprofit sector. At the Arbor Day Foundation, she will serve as the Senior Manager for Program Innovation. “I’m so excited about getting to help expand networks, grow partnerships, and find innovative spaces that help the Foundation and the wider forestry community meet their goals and increase tree planting across the landscape,” she said. “This is a great opportunity for me to work with people both within the organization and our partners. There are so many creative people working in the forestry space and so many sparks of ideas everywhere.”

Also Read: Regreening Wilmington