Wings Over Water

This is a beautiful book which covers wetland conservation of birds and enviromental spaces in North America .by the Wetland Management council, giving over 50 year of service to the protection of the North American Wetlands.
Beautiful photos and a wonderful table top book to pick up and browse, or to read until from cover to cover, fascinating information and photographs.

“Approximately seven out of ten birds that migrate over North America rely on prairie wetlands during part of their life cycle”

This book was my introduction to America’s prairie wetlands, which span “parts of five states - Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, and Iowa - and three Canadian provinces - Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba.”

“This book and the IMAX 3D movie Wings Over Water are aimed at awakening the continent and the world to the need to protect the prairie wetlands, North America’s greatest ecological asset. The prairies are key to abundant birds, clean water, and sufficient grasslands to keep our continent healthy. Without them, we face a future of depleted water resources, decreased water quality, ruinous flooding, and a greatly diminished ability to sequester carbon. The implications for the continent’s bird populations are even more bleak.”

The film runs for 44 minutes, a fraction of the over 220 hours of footage that was shot. Although a number of birds are included in this book, the film focuses on three: mallards, sandhill cranes and yellow warblers. It doesn’t hurt that it’s being narrated by Michael Keaton.

I’ve done this backwards, reading the companion book prior to seeing the film. I expect I will appreciate the behind the scenes information more once I’ve watched the film.

I’m hoping the facts about the birds and their life cycles that I was keen to learn from this book will be presented on screen. There were a few, just not as many as I would have liked. My favourite fun fact was that yellow warblers weigh “less than three sheets of paper”.

I adored the photos in this book and had trouble choosing a favourite.

When I was growing up, the only times I experienced IMAX was at the IMAX Theatre at Dreamworld in Queensland when my family did the theme park hop while we were on holiday. I was always mesmerised by them and still remember one scene where my stomach did the first drop of a rollercoaster lurch as the camera suddenly dipped into a gaping canyon. I couldn’t get enough.

I haven’t seen an IMAX film for years but definitely want to find a way to watch Wings Over Water. If this book is any indication, the cinematography is going to be breathtaking. Don’t believe me? Check out the trailer!

You may also want to have a wander around the film’s website.

“Marvel at the richness of this northern kingdom for wildlife. Then find your own place in the movement to save the stunning prairie wetlands of North America.”

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Girl Friday Productions and Flashpoint for the opportunity to read this book. I’m rounding up from 4.5 stars.

Wings Over Water is a companion book to the Imax film of the same name. I haven’t seen the film, but now I want to! The photography in this book is outstanding, but there’s a lot more to it than that.

The book underscores the importance of protecting and restoring prairie wetlands, not just as a year-round habitat of these beautiful birds (and other animals) but also as important stopping grounds for birds during migration.

It also covers how the film came to be made. Several organizations teamed up to produce it, reminding us that it’s important for hunters and conservationists to work together to protect environments that are valuable to both groups. It makes you think about the patience, dedication, and skill of the camerapeople and the rest of the crew. The book also talks about the history of conservation, through both government action and private organizations.

It would make a good coffee table book or a nice gift. It comes out in April 2022. Thank you to NetGalley, Girl Friday Productions, and Flashpoint Books for my copy.

Wings Over Water is a delightful, photography rich, coffee table style book to go along with a forthcoming IMAX documentary of the same name. Both book and movie feature North America’s vital prairie wetlands habitat. I requested an early digital copy of this book through NetGalley because I visited Tall Grass Prairie Preserve outside Emporia, KS last year and learned how little of the once abundance prairie ecosystem remains. I wanted to learn more about the prairie and the prairie wetlands ecosystems, and this book was educational.

The book and documentary were created to document the role the American prairie wetlands plays in the larger North American ecosystem and to encourage prairie wetlands awareness, conservation, and preservation. The book promotes prairie conservation organizations including Ducks Unlimited, Ducks Unlimited Canada, National Audubon Society, and the Wetlands America Trust. The prairie wetlands are critical for cleaning and replenishing water in North American aquifers as well as providing breeding habitat for a wide range of wildlife including the majority of North American waterbirds. The habitat has been greatly reduced for farming and is further threatened by climate change.

The book is about 115 pages of content with beautiful bird and prairie photos on almost every page along with short essays on topics such as the importance of the prairie habitat, the making of the documentary, conservation of the prairie and birds, and information about the breeding waterfowl of the prairie. Each essay is short, but informative, with no background information required. I learned about the history and mission of the Max McGraw Wildlife Foundation who sponsored the film as well as the North American Wetlands Conservation Act that creates a legal framework and conservation alliance between government and conservation organizations. The book discusses working with farmers and hunters to realize conservation goals and wetland restoration that are long-term beneficial for everyone. The film follows three bird species on the prairie so there are more photos of Mallard Ducks, Sandhill Cranes, and Yellow Warblers, but other prairie birds and wildlife are also included, though there is a strong focus on ducks.

The book succeeded in making me want to see the film, but the book itself is a beautiful addition to a bird, conservation, or nature photo library. It is an educational book designed for a broad audience, particularly those who are not familiar with bird conservation in North America. I would recommend a print copy to fully enjoy the photos though the digital copy viewed well through the NetGalley app on my iPad Pro. Thank you to NetGalley and Girl Friday Productions for giving me an opportunity to review this book before publication.

This book is really a survey of the issue and major players involved in preserving America's wetlands, from Canada to Mexico. For one who knows nothing of either, like myself, I found it helpful and informative--and the photography spectacular. The pictures were the main draw for me, and on that front, the book absolutely succeeds!

It also makes me very curious to see the movie. I had flashbacks of my growing-up years, going to Seattle's Pacific Science Center and seeing IMAX movies--or watching them in class (many narrated by Peter Coyote). #childofthe80sand90s :D Michael Keaton is an intriguing choice of narrator; I'll admit most of my familiarity with him stems from "Much Ado About Nothing," so there is a level of amusement there re: a show a far cry from narration on fowl! :D

The movie is as yet unreleased, but once it lands, I'll certainly consider it. A visit to my local IMAX may be in order!

I received an eARC of the book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

What a wonderful companion book to the Wings Over Water IMAX film! The photographs are absolutely stunning, of course, but the text is just as compelling. The behind-the-scenes filming information is interesting, but just as fascinating are the articles on conservation, history, and geography. I really enjoyed learning about so many other topics along with the study of all the animals who depend on the prairie wetlands.

This would be great to read before seeing the film, but would also be a nice souvenir to remember it by. Additionally, anyone interested in birdwatching, conservation, nature films, or just armchair traveling would be thrilled to get a copy of this!

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review!