MELANIE CHOUKAS-BRADLEY is a writer, naturalist, and teacher in the DC area and the author of three acclaimed books: City of Trees: The Complete Field Guide to the Trees of Washington, D.C., illustrated by Polly Alexander, now in its third edition (2008), An Illustrated Guide to Eastern Woodland Wildflowers and Trees, illustrated by Tina Thieme Brown (2004), and Sugarloaf: The Mountain’s History, Geology, and Natural Lore, illustrated by Tina Thieme Brown (2003), all published by the University of Virginia Press. She is also a long-time contributor to The Washington Post and other publications, has appeared as an author and guest expert on All Things Considered, The Diane Rehm Show, and The Kojo Nnamdi Show, and, in 2014, was awarded one of four inaugural ‘Canopy Awards’ by Casey Trees, for her efforts to educate people about the trees of Washington, DC.
Susan Austin Roth is a writer and photographer residing in the DC area. She is the author and photographer of ten popular gardening books (Rodale Press, Houghton Mifflin, Home Planners, and Better Homes and Gardens) and was honored with three awards from the Garden Writers Association. She worked for seven years as a field editor and assignment photographer for Better Homes and Gardens magazine, and her photographs appear regularly in books, national magazines, and calendars. Recently, she became a Virginia Master Naturalist and volunteers in local and national parks