Zoom Talk: Potomac Conservancy
OnlineExplore the Potomac Gorge’s fascinating landscapes & plant life through the seasons with Melanie Choukas-Bradley via Zoom.
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View Past Events
Melanie is working on a new book and will schedule events again in the fall of 2025.
A Journey Through the Potomac Gorge: Afternoon Lecture/Seminar (Smithsonian Associates)
OnlineThe Potomac Gorge is one of the most biologically diverse and ecologically significant landmarks in the nation, supporting a wide range of habitats, plants, and animals, including many rare species. It has held an important place in human history since the Ice Age. Although many people are aware of sections of this treasured landscape, few know and appreciate the Potomac Gorge as a whole.
$25 – $30
U.S. Capitol Grounds Tree Walk With Melanie Choukas-Bradley
U.S. Capitol Grounds and Arboretum Washington, DC, United StatesWashington DC has been known as “The City of Trees” for over 100 years. With a rich arboreal history and amazing ecological diversity, it’s easy to understand how we’ve earned this name! Join us for an exciting opportunity with DC naturalist Melanie Choukas-Bradley, author of City of Trees and several other nature books, for an early spring tree tour of the historic and botanically diverse trees of the Capitol Grounds and Arboretum (the new official name of the site).
$25
Bluebells and Budbreak at Boundary Bridge (Nature Forward)
Boundary Bridge at Rock Creek ParkThe author of the award-winning book, A Year in Rock Creek Park and the critically acclaimed City of Trees will offer her 17th year of Nature Forward walks in the country’s oldest urban national park. Under her expert guidance, you will witness the annual floral miracle of Virginia bluebells, spring beauties, and trout lilies in the floodplain forest, while the leaves of tulip tree and American beech begin to spill from their buds.
$40 – $49
Springtime on the Potomac Heritage Trail: A Wildflower Hike at Turkey Run Park (Smithsonian Associates)
Turkey Run Park (first parking lot from Park's George Washington Memorial Parkway exit), McLean, VA, United StatesDiscover the spring splendors of the Potomac Gorge, a 1,900-acre natural area spanning Maryland and Virginia, and one of the most geologically diverse places on Earth. Hiking north from Turkey Run Park along the Potomac Heritage Trail, experience the contrasting terrains of the more gentle, terraced landscape in Maryland and the steeper, dissected area in Virginia.
$45 – $55
Forest Bathing Walk with Author Melanie Choukas-Bradley — Politics & Prose
Tregaron Conservancy 3031 Klingle Road, NW, Washington, DC, United StatesJoin Melanie Choukas-Bradley, author of The Joy of Forest Bathing and A Year in Rock Creek Park, and several other nature books for a spring forest bathing walk through the enchanting Tregaron Conservancy, a woodland garden tucked away in the midst of northwest Washington that has been restored and stewarded by a non-profit organization since 2006. We will meander under tall trees, cross picturesque bridges over musical streams, and climb stone steps through a century-old cultivated and wild woodland landscape reminiscent of “the secret garden.”
$50
Capitol Tree Walk with Author Melanie Choukas-Bradley — Politics & Prose
U.S. Botanic Garden Conservatory 100 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, DC, United StatesJoin naturalist Melanie Choukas-Bradley, author of City of Trees and several other nature books, for a spring walking tour of the historic and botanically diverse trees of the U.S. Capitol Grounds and Arboretum
$50
Botanical Bliss: An Immersive Nature Walk (On-site Tour)
U.S. Botanic Garden Conservatory 100 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, DC, United StatesMelanie Choukas-Bradley, author of The Joy of Forest Bathing, City of Trees, and other regional nature books leads this slow-moving, immersive tour through the USBG outdoor gardens. The tour aims to promote wellness and reflection on nature. Join Melanie as she guides you to explore the beauty and wonder of the gated outdoor gardens through all five senses. You will pause throughout to witness exquisite May flowers and abundant pollinators of the Garden, share experiences, and explore observations. At the conclusion of the journey, you will have the opportunity to reflect and sip some pure maple sap “tea.”
Free With Registration
A Spring Walk on Theodore Roosevelt Island (Smithsonian Associates)
Theodore Roosevelt IslandEnjoy a spring morning walk on a natural oasis in the Potomac with Melanie Choukas-Bradley, the author of the book Finding Solace at Theodore Roosevelt Island. The nearly 2-mile path follows the island’s shore and moves deep into the swamp and tidal inlet along the boardwalk where willows, bald cypresses, and cattails frame views of Washington, D.C.
$55 – $75
Paddle on the Potomac (Nature Forward)
Key Ridge Boathouse - Georgetown Waterfront WA, United StatesJoin us at the Key Bridge Boathouse for a summer paddling trip around Theodore Roosevelt Island. Discover the magic of paddling around DC’s historic 88.5 acre island in the Potomac beneath the boughs of magnificent sycamores, cottonwoods, silver maples, black walnuts, basswoods and river birches.
$36 – $49
Literary Hill Bookfest
North Hall at Eastern Market, Capitol HillookFest showcases local authors and Capitol Hill-based booksellers, publishers, and other literary organizations and celebrates the Hill.
Theodore Roosevelt’s North Dakota: Badlands, Bison, and the Making of a Conservationist — Smithsonian Associates
Theodore Roosevelt National Park North DakotaIn 1883, Theodore Roosevelt looked to the Badlands of western North Dakota as a place where he could transform himself from an asthmatic 24-year-old New Yorker into a big-game hunter, rancher, and authentic cowboy. A year later, it took on new meaning as a place of refuge and solace after the deaths of his wife and mother.
Experience landscapes — filled with dramatic vistas, vividly colored canyons, and wandering herds of wild bison — on a 5-day study tour led by author and naturalist Melanie Choukas-Bradley that brings you into the heart of Roosevelt’s Badlands and the national park that bears his name.
Various Prices