"To understand the grasslands is to know their worth.""
"Windswept" is a celebration of the subtle beauty and
fascinating biology of one of the most threatened large ecosystems on the planet
- the grasslands of the Canadian prairies and the northern Great Plains of the
United States.
Cradled between the Rocky Mountains to the west and the Canadian
Shield to the east, the grasslands both north and south of the border share a
common climate, geological history, and wildlife diversity, as recorded in the
opening pages of the book.
World-renown natural history writer and wildlife photographer
Wayne Lynch describes in detail the evolution and nature of each of five
defining grassland habitats - flat to gently rolling plains, sand hills, wooded
valleys called coulees, sloughs, and badlands - and the creatures that live
there. Written in the informative yet entertaining style that has become his
trademark, Lynch's wildlife descriptions, in particular, reflect exciting new
discoveries in evolutionary and reproductive biology.
Beautifully illustrated by more than ninety stunning photographs
that speak of the visual wonder of the grasslands and its wildlife, this book
reveals the grasslands as a landscape of promise and surprise, a mosaic of
communities that differ in vegetation and wildlife, and a place where the wind
and the pungent smell of pasture sage evoke memories from our unseen past.
Discover the excitement, the diversity, the intricacy, the
biology, and the beauty of the northern prairies in "Windswept" and no
doubt you will conclude, as Lynch does, that to allow the grasslands to
disappear would be to sacrifice a landscape that raises the quality of life
above mere survival.
Recognized and respected as one of North America's leading
wildlife and natural history photographers, Wayne Lynch has spent the
last twenty-five years capturing images of wildlife in wild places the world
over. His impressive photo credits include hundreds of magazine covers,
thousands of calendar shots, and tens of thousands of images published in over
two dozen countries. Lynch is also an award-winning science writer, a popular
guest lecturer, and a veteran photo safari leader. His practical and
entertaining approach to natural history, whether it be through the written or
spoken word, has attracted the admiration of audiences worldwide. He has
photographed both common and unusual creatures in their native habitat in more
than fifty countries, travelling extensively for long periods of time and often
undergoing considerable physical hardship to get the "perfect shot."
With an exceptional ability to write for both adults and
children, Lynch has authored more than two dozen highly acclaimed natural
history books, including "The Great Northern Kingdom: Life in the Boreal
Forest," "Wild Birds Across the Prairies," "Penguins of the World,"
"Mountain Bears," "Bear: Monarchs of the Northern Wilderness," "A is
for Arctic: Natural Wonders of a Polar World," "The Nature Babies Series"
and the wildly popular children's book "The Scoop on Poop: The Fascinating
Science of How Animals Use Poop."
Lynch is a Fellow of the internationally recognized Explorers
Club and Fellow of the Arctic Institute of North America. Lynch lives in Calgary
with his wife of twenty-nine years, Aubrey Lang.
Wayne Lynch has the rare ability to recognize a great photograph
through his camera's viewfinder, as well as to construct a beautiful,
illuminating and clear sentence - his love for nature comes through in both of
these talents. "Windswept" provides a splendid non-technical window into the
visually simple but ecologically complex Canadian grasslands, which are the best
and most extensive surviving examples of these highly threatened North American
ecosystems. Although it is easy to recognize a forest's demise after it has been
clear-cut and destroyed, prairies often hide the effects of deterioration from
overgrazing, alien introductions and biotic disturbance until it is too late to
save them. Wayne's book should help to educate the general reader not only to
the subtle majesty of the northern plains grasslands but provide an insight into
their history, their fascinating denizens, and the importance of working to assure their survival
- Paul A. Johnsgard, Foundation Professor Emeritus, U. of Nebraska, Lincoln,
Nebraska