Interview Spotlight
Melanie Choukas-Bradley
“Rock Creek is a reflection, quite literally, of who we are as stewards.”
Melanie is the author of A Year in Rock Creek Park, City of Trees, Wild Walking and several other nature books. Her next book will be titled Wild DC—Explore the Amazing Nature In and Around The Nation’s Capital due out from Timber Press in July of 2027 with photography by Susan Austin Roth.
We had the opportunity to speak with her and learn more about her love for Rock Creek Park. Read our interview below to learn more.
Interview with Melanie
Melanie Choukas-Bradley in Rock Creek Park
Photo Credit: Judy Licht
What is your favorite spot in Rock Creek Park and why?
I am partial to the Boundary Bridge area of Rock Creek Park, which I consider my wild home. I love crossing the 91-year-old footbridge from Maryland to DC to see what surprises will greet me in the floodplain forest and upland woods: wildflowers in spring, a chattering kingfisher, the sudden appearance of a pileated woodpecker, the haunting calls of barred owls. Gliding over the bridge on skis after a fresh snowfall is especially enlivening.
As a naturalist, what’s the most surprising thing to you about Rock Creek Park?
Just how wild it is! Rock Creek Park is 85% forested with some very old towering trees. At times you can imagine you are in West Virginia and then suddenly the Washington National Cathedral will appear through the trees! The diverse
habitats of the park—creek, floodplain, rocky uplands, seepage swamp—support a remarkable diversity of trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants, and the wildlife that thrives in their midst.
If there was one thing you wished more people knew about Rock Creek, what
would it be?
Rock Creek is a reflection, quite literally, of who we are as stewards.
Everything we do in our homes and neighborhoods, and in the park itself, affects
the health of the watershed. Nurturing native trees and reducing impervious
surfaces around our homes contributes to the health and well-being of Rock
Creek. We can all join Rock Creek Conservancy’s efforts to clean up trash and
help manage the spread of invasive plants. Walking along a trash-free creek
among thriving native plant populations in the middle of Washington, DC is a
richly rewarding experience.
What can fans of your previous work expect from the forthcoming book, Wild
DC?
The book will be a combination field guide and an enticement to adventure
in and around our city, including in Rock Creek Park. Susan has contributed 250
color photographs for the book.