Adam Regn Arvidson 
Wild and Rare 
Tracking Endangered Species in the Upper Midwest

The elusive Canada lynx bears kittens in Minnesota’s northeastern woods. In the far southeastern part of the state, the succulent Leedy’s roseroot clings to cold cliffs. On the northwestern grasslands, the western prairie fringed orchid grows only on ancient glacial beach ridges. In the rivers of the Twin Cities metro area, the snuffbox mussel snaps on a fish’s nose to give its larvae a temporary home. These species and fifteen others living in Minnesota are on the federal Endangered Species List.



Adam Regn Arvidson, a talented science reporter and genial guide, uncovers the stories of these plants and animals, providing compelling views of the state’s northern pine forest, deciduous forest, and prairie landscapes. Readers learn how beach driving in Texas affects Minnesota’s northernmost bird; how ranchers feel about prairie minnows; how urban runoff affects rivers and therefore mussels; how the wolf ended up in court. Scientists, orchid-hounds, lawyers, and nature lovers weigh in on the value and benefit of rare species–and their right to exist.


This book is an entertaining and educational journey through Minnesota’s diverse landscapes, one wild and rare inhabitant at a time.

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Adam Regn Arvidson is a nonfiction writer and landscape architect living in Minneapolis. His work has appeared in publications ranging from Landscape Architecture Magazine to the Utne Reader to flyway: journal of writing and the environment. In 2009 he was awarded the Bradford Williams Medal for excellence in writing about landscape architecture. He has served as an editor for several publications and is the author of Greening the Landscape: Strategies for Environmentally Sound Practice.