Have you ever gone on a hike, arrive at the summit and then realize you don’t remember the trip up? Most of us will take a hike, walk, or journey of some kind and go as fast as we can to get to the ‘reward’, but how often do we stop during the journey to enjoy our surroundings? Probably not very often.

Edward Kanze is a naturalist, author, columnist, wildlife photographer, licensed guide, and former National Park Service Ranger. He has been guiding people through the wild for more than 30 years. He calls himself a ‘holistic guide’ who takes people on walks and hikes to immerse them in the flora, fauna, geology, culture and history that makes our Adirondack Mountains so unique. Our park can offer a glimpse into the past if you’re willing to look. Showing us where we came from and where we are going.

Mr. Kanze is the proprietor of the Adirondack Naturalist Company, a licensed Adirondack guiding service. He helps people reconnect with their roots and in the past has been hired as a present to take people on a walk around their own property. Now you might wonder why someone would want to look around their own property. But how many times have you gone past a specific tree or flower on your property and wondered what it is? If you haven’t, I bet you will now.

He has published seven books about his travels around the world, history, and wild life. Including Over the Mountain and Home Again: Journeys of an Adirondack Naturalist and Kangaroo Dreaming: An Australian Wildlife Odyssey. Mr. Kanze has been published continuously for 25 years in a weekly newspaper column “All Things Natural” in a Connecticut-based newspaper chain and now is in the Bedford, NY ‘Record-Review’.

He also is a published wildlife photographer whom has photos through the DPA (Dembinsky Photo Associates), a natural history stock agency as well as other freelance shoots. He has given lectures at many different venues around the country, including our very own Paul Smith’s College. In fact, coming up on Saturday, October 19 at 7:30 p.m. he will be speaking at Saranac Lake at Will Rogers. Mr. Kanze and his family will be doing a slide presentation about their trip to Australia and New Zealand. So here is your chance to meet him first hand and see some incredible pictures from their trip.

He enjoys sharing information with other people and encouraging them to start slowing down and enjoying the journey along the way.