Finding Solace at Theodore Roosevelt Island by Melanie Choukas-Bradley

New Book Released September 2020

Washington D.C. naturalist Melanie Choukas-Bradley dives into the natural history and beauty of Theodore Roosevelt Island, an island wilderness less than two miles from the White House and a memorial to the United States’ foremost conservationist president. In 2016, as the presidential election dealt a body-blow to progressive thinkers in the US, Melanie sought the solace of Theodore Roosevelt Island. In this book, she reflects on the inspiring environmental legacy of Roosevelt, and how immersing oneself in nature can help to heal, restore and encourage a person, even in the midst of the strange new reality of a divisive occupant in the White House. Melanie leads the reader along walks and kayak trips around the island, as together with other Washingtonian nature lovers, birders, conservationists, and even descendants of Roosevelt, they find solace in the island’s natural wonders and ponder their nation’s future. Includes a foreword by Dr. Thomas Lovejoy, Professor of Environmental Science & Policy at George Mason University & a Senior Fellow at the United Nations Foundation.

Cover art by Tina Thieme Brown

Praise for the Book

“I can’t think of a more timely book than Finding Solace at Theodore Roosevelt Island to remind us of the natural wonders within our nation’s capital. Melanie Choukas-Bradley expertly captures the essence of our political quagmire, while reminding us of the role nature plays in helping us recover from our collective stress, as we search for a path toward reconciliation.”
— Dr. Robert Zarr, MD, MPH, Founder and Medical Director, Park Rx America

“Choukas-Bradley has more than earned her place among the storied members of Audubon Naturalist Society who, throughout history, have been our nation’s environmental leaders, writers and champions including President Theodore Roosevelt, Louis Halle (Spring in Washington), Rachel Carson (Silent Spring), and William Weaver (Beautiful Swimmers).”
— Lisa Alexander, Executive Director, Audubon Naturalist Society

“Melanie Choukas-Bradley is at the height of her powers and goes beyond classic nature writing with her latest and best book, Finding Solace at Theodore Roosevelt Island—a moving, big-hearted journal that is a must for those seeking survival in our turbulent times of climate change and political upheaval. To read Finding Solace is to open your heart as you explore the natural world in the nation’s capital with a spirited, loving, empathetic, and expert guide.”
— Robert K. Musil, President & CEO, the Rachel Carson Council, Author, Washington in Spring: A Nature Journal for a Changing Capital