Photo by PoPville flickr user Beau Finley

From Casey Trees:

“In honor of the 125th Anniversary of Rock Creek Park, Casey Trees will present four educational hikes through Rock Creek Park with local author and naturalist Melanie Choukas-Bradley. During these hikes, participants will hike the entire length of two major hiking trails, the Valley Trail and the Western Ridge Trail, to see Rock Creek Park throughout the seasons.

The Winter in Rock Creek Park 125th Anniversary Hike will take place on February 1, 2015. During this first tour, participants will hike the Valley Trail, after a linking hike on the Theodore Roosevelt Trail. The spring hike, on April 12, will take place along the Rock Creek floodplain and its upland woods, where participants will learn about Rock Creek’s woody plants and spring wild flowers. The subsequent hikes will take place on June 28 and October 25, 2015.

The distance of each hike is about 5 miles with some elevation change. All hikes are open to the general public. Participants may register for each hike separately for a fee of $35 or for the entire series at a discounted rate of $125.

Each registered participant will receive a copy of A Year in Rock Creek Park: The Wild, Wooded Heart of Washington, DC by Melanie Choukas-Bradley, recounting the park’s many seasonal change and how it park came to be. Becoming one of the first federally managed parks in 1890 after broad deforestation during the U.S. Civil War, the park has since regained its lush canopy. The Rock Creek Park (Administration) will be celebrating its 125th anniversary this year with numerous events and initiatives.

For more information on the tree tours, visit here.”

Ed. Note: first tour is already booked but the next three are available here, here, and here.