Crosby, Cindy

Since 2014, Cindy Crosby has photographed and written about the tallgrass prairie in her weekly blog, Tuesdays in the Tallgrass at WordPress. She has a passion for sharing the natural world through words, images, and experiences. Her books include Chasing Dragonflies: A Natural, Cultural, and Personal History (Northwestern University Press, 2020); The Tallgrass Prairie: An Introduction (Northwestern University Press 2017) and Tallgrass Conversations: In Search of the Prairie Spirit (Ice Cube Press, 2018 with Thomas Dean), which is the first book with her photography.

She earned her master’s degree in Natural Resources from University of Wisconsin-Steven’s Point, and teaches prairie ecology, nature writing, and natural history classes for conservation organizations. As a prairie steward, she has volunteered countless hours in prairie restoration. She also coordinates the work of 20 volunteer dragonfly monitors at two Illinois sites, and loves photographing and chasing dragonflies while investigating the plants, birds, animals, and insects she encounters along the way.

As a life-long learner, she says, “One of the worst things a person can say to me is ‘I’m bored.’ The natural world is full of unending excitement, complexity, and joy. There is no end to the discoveries we can make and the adventures we can have. Just step outside.”

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