Melanie Choukas-Bradley grew up in rural Vermont wandering the woods and fields from an early age. She brought her love of nature to metropolitan Washington, D.C., where she lives with her husband, Jim. They have two adult children. Melanie is the award-winning author of several nature books, including A Year in Rock Creek Park, Finding Solace at Theodore Roosevelt Island, City of Trees and Resilience--Connecting with Nature in a Time of Crisis. Melanie leads forest bathing walks, nature and history field trips, and tree tours in Washington, DC and the American West. She is a nature and forest therapy guide with certification from the Association of Nature & Forest Therapy Guides and Programs. She has traveled in Japan where she participated in forest bathing walks led by shinrin-yoku guides. Originally from the Netherlands, Lieke van der Vorst is the illustrator behind Liekeland. Her work is influenced by the times she spent camping with her family every summer. Being kind to animals and the environment is an important part of her vision. She uses her illustrations to make a positive impact on the world, and to keep people honest and humble. She received a vocational education at Graphic Design SintLucas, Boxtel NL and has an art degree from Academy of Fine Arts and Design St. Joost, Breda NL.