Great Northern Kingdom: Life in the Boreal Forest

Janet Arnett is the former campus manager of adult education at Ontario’s Georgian College. She is the author of Antiques and Collectibles: Starting Small, The Grange at Knock, and 673 Ways to Save Money.

Quality text and photography combine to make this a very enjoyable,
desirable work on a part of Canada underrepresented in nature
literature.

Wayne Lynch loves words. And he loves science. Information and unusual
facts are never dull; he assures this by applying his love of language
to “delicious science.”

Lynch puts the entire boreal forest ecosystem on stage: the trees,
plant, flowers, insects, birds, amphibians, and animals. Snow, fire,
water, and weather form the backdrop against which the performers are
featured. Twenty-seven essays, grouped by season, present the unique
strategies taiga plants and animals use to survive in their
less-than-hospitable environment. The cast ranges from tiny shrews and
“flowers on the wing” (warblers) to bear, moose, and eagles. Fungus,
pines, muskrat, beaver, beetles, woodpeckers, otters, frogs, grebe,
marten, fox, grosbeaks, hawks, mallards, blackfly, berries, coyote,
toads, loons ... we see and appreciate them as individual species and as
interconnected parts of this great northern forest.

Approximately 120 glowing color photos move the book into the
coffee-table category. There are creative landscapes, outstanding shots
of birds and animals, and dazzling close-ups of plants saturated in
stunning color. What a delightful package—lots of fascinating
information, an entertaining writing style, and a visual feast.