"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.

"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.

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

Wildlife photographer and science writer Dr. Wayne Lynch has dedicated almost three decades to learning everything he can about these powerful mammals. In his quest for bears, he has crawled inside the winter dens of black bears and polar bears, held squirming grizzly cubs in his arms, sailed along the coastal rainforests of British Columbia, hiked the cloud forests of the Andes Mountains in South America and ridden elephants through the jungles of Nepal and India.

In Bears, Bears, Bears for Kids, his engaging guide to the world's eight bear species, Lynch introduces us to the strange and wonderful natural histories of these magnificent wild animals.

For more than 40 years, Dr. Wayne Lynch has been writing about and photographing the wildlands of the world from the stark beauty of the Arctic and Antarctic to the lush rainforests of the tropics. Today, he is one of Canada's best-known and most widely published nature writers and wildlife photographers. His photo credits include hundreds of magazine covers, thousands of calendar shots, and tens of thousands of images published in over 80 countries. He is also the author/photographer of more than 45 books for children as well as over 20 highly acclaimed natural history books for adults including Windswept: A Passionate View of the Prairie Grasslands; Penguins of the World; Bears: Monarchs of the Northern Wilderness; A is for Arctic: Natural Wonders of a Polar World; Wild Birds Across the Prairies;Planet Arctic: Life at the Top of the World; The Great Northern Kingdom: Life in the Boreal Forest; Owls of the United States and Canada: A Complete Guide to their Biology and Behavior; Penguins: The World's Coolest Birds; Galapagos: A Traveler's Introduction; A Celebration of Prairie Birds; and Bears of the North: A Year Inside Their Worlds.In 2022, he released Wildlife of the Rockies for Kids and Loons: Treasured Symbols of the North. His books have won multiple awards and have been described as "a magical combination of words and images."

Wayne Lynch's profile page

"Each chapter offers fascinating descriptions in an accessible, articulate style. The photographs are superb. Windswept provides the reader an educated and fascinating account of one of the most beautiful — and threatened — of ecosystems."
— Canadian Book Review Annual

"Many people never visit the vast grasslands of the midcontinent, or they cross it with scant attention, speeding down major highways to the more stunning scenery of the Rockies or coastlines. Common perceptions focus on the seemingly boring topography (relatively fiat), near-constant winds, and extreme temperatures. But Wayne Lynch's book of photographs and evocative text captures the subtle, dynamic beauty of the prairie landscape and provides fascinating details about the plants and animals that live there, making even those familiar with this landscape want to look more closely."
— University of Nebraska

"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