Plant lover Pia researches how to make ecosystems healthier. She uses her knowledge, gained via study and work spanning the country — from Vermont to California, Alaska, and Hawaii — to optimize ways the Hudson Valley’s woods, wetlands, meadows, and waterways support people and wildlife. Pia also is committed to ensuring everyone benefits from nature. As an Americorps member with The Watershed Project, she helped create urban forests in neighborhoods of Richmond, one of the San Francisco Bay area’s most disadvantaged cities, that had been virtually depleted of trees. Contact: pruisibesares@scenichudson.org