Springsong Museum: Living Landscapes: 2026 Fall Hike with Springsong
2026-09-18 09:30 - 12:00 (America/New_York) | Springsong Museum
Forest Bathing Walk at Springsong with Melanie Choukas-Bradley
Free with registration (limited to 15 participants)
🗓 Friday, September 18, 2026
🕤 9:30 AM – 12:00 PM
Nourish your sense of wonder during a September morning forest bathing walk in the Northwest Branch gorge adjacent to the Springsong Museum site. We will walk slowly and pause often as we explore the upland woods and streamside of cascading Northwest Branch. Forest bathing is a practice that began in Japan in the 1980s and celebrates the beauty and wonder of nature in a way that aligns with Rachel Carson’s views of the world. During our walk we will tune in to each of our senses as we open our hearts to the beauty of spring in the gorge. Wear shoes or boots with good tread and prepare for some rock scrambling in the stream valley during a slow walk of about a mile. We will go ahead in light rain but postpone if rain is heavy or thunderstorms are likely.
Walk leader Melanie Choukas-Bradley is a certified nature and forest therapy guide who has participated in forest bathing walks with shinrin-yoku guides in Japan. She is the author of Wild Walking—A Guide to Forest Bathing Through the Seasons and several other nature books. Melanie has been leading nature walks in the DC area for many years.
Important details:
📍 Starting Point: Meet at Burnt Mills East (Trader Joe’s side): 10701 Columbia Pike, Silver Spring, MD 20901. There is plenty of free parking.
There are no water fountains available, so you may want to bring a water bottle.
The ground can be uneven, parts are on an incline, and there are a few rock scrambles, so wear hiking boots or other sturdy shoes. Some may want to bring hiking poles.
The hike will be approximately 1 mile, but the trail goes much farther, so if you want to extend your hike, you can do that independently.
Bring your sense of wonder! We will hike at a naturalist’s pace, stopping often and taking notice of the world around us.
Dress accordingly for chilly, warm or rainy conditions.

Rock Creek Park Tree Tour with Melanie Choukas-Bradley
2026-09-26 10:00 - 12:00
Join naturalist and author Melanie Choukas-Bradley for a guided walk through the rich landscapes of Rock Creek Park. This immersive tour invites participants to slow down and observe the intricate relationships between native trees, understory plants, and wildlife. Drawing on her deep knowledge of the region, Melanie will show you how to identify many of the park’s venerable trees, highlight seasonal changes, ecological connections, and the cultural history embedded in this urban forest. Whether you’re a seasoned plant enthusiast or simply curious, this walk offers a chance to deepen your connection to nature and gain a new appreciation for one of DC’s most treasured green spaces.
Sign- Up Here.

Smithsonian Associates: Theodore Roosevelt's North Dakota
2026-10-10 - 2026-10-15
Fly west and experience the wild beauty of the Dakota Territory that shaped young Theodore Roosevelt’s course as a conservationist and naturalist. Follow the future president’s steps in these landscapes – filled with dramatic vistas, vividly colored canyons, and wandering herds of wild bison.
Leader: Melanie Choukas-Bradley
Register Here.

Politics and Prose: WALKING TOUR: A Mystical Fall Forest Bathing Walk at Tregaron Conservancy
2026-10-30 09:30 - 12:30 | Tregaron Conservancy, 3031 Klingle Road, NW, Washington, DC, 20008, United States
Join Melanie Choukas-Bradley, author of Wild Walking—A Guide to Forest Bathing Through the Seasons, The Joy of Forest Bathing, A Year in Rock Creek Park, and several other nature books for a magical fall 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 in autumn glory, cross picturesque bridges over musical streams, and climb stone steps through a century-old cultivated and wild woodland landscape reminiscent of “the secret garden.”
