Ben Gadd, Naturalist
Ben Gadd knows the Canadian Rocky Mountains well. He is the author of nine books on the area. His best-selling Handbook of the Canadian Rockies is an award-winning guide to everything from geology, botany and bears to human history and backpacking trips. With a degree in earth science and 30 years of teaching and writing about the Rockies, Ben Gadd is an acknowledged authority on the region. (Click here for Ben’s résumé, a short bio, a list of his books in print, and more photos.)
Ben has been an independent natural-history guide in Jasper National Park, Alberta, since 1985. He is licensed by Parks Canada and fully insured. Ben can take your group out for a walk, put on a slide show, lead your tour—or just join you around the campfire to answer questions and swap yarns.
Many groups use Ben’s services: tours, conferences, field trips, schools, universities, non-profits, journalists, publishers, film and television companies, families, individuals. An after-dinner talk or a day outdoors with Ben could be the highlight of your Jasper visit. The cost is reasonable.
• Tours and field trips
Athabasca Falls, Maligne Canyon, the Columbia Icefield! These are all must-sees in Jasper National Park. Enjoy them with an expert all your own. Ben can lead your tour as the step-on guide for a morning or afternoon, a day or a week, passing along his intimate knowledge of the Rockies with wit and style.
Would you like to photograph animals? Bighorn sheep and mountain goats? A magnificent elk stag? With Ben along, you’ve got a good chance. Organizing a tour? Call Ben. He is a gold mine of local information, and his advice is free.
Among college and university groups, Ben is renowned for his geology field trips and natural-history field trips. For an exceptionally good undergraduate biology exercise, bring your class to one of Ben’s seasonal ecology workshops.
• Guided walks
Go with Ben for a sunset stroll up Old Fort Point, where the thrushes sing in the aspen groves. Join him on a day-hiking trip to the spectacular alpine meadows of Mt. Edith Cavell or the high country around Maligne Lake. Whatever your interest—wildflowers, wildlife, birds, geology, photography—Ben can tailor a guided walk to suit your group.
• Presentations and talks
Ben has enjoyed a long career as a mountain-climber, back-country skier, caver, naturalist and conservationist. From the summit of Mount Robson to the depths of Castleguard Cave, and from the value of wilderness to the geology of the Rockies, Ben’s illustrated talks draw on a wealth of experience to bring the natural world to life.
These programs run from twenty minutes to an hour or longer, depending on the topic, and they’re done live. The tone is light, good for groups of any age. Naturalist themes are interwoven with the action and the humor, so there is learning as well as entertainment. Ben has developed several short talks that require no AV and are perfect for luncheon groups.
Is your group small? Consider an informal fireside talk. Ben leads off with anecdotes of his mountain experiences. Soon everyone is involved in the discussion.
• Author readings and school visits
Ben is the author of Raven’s End, a best-selling novel that has been translated into five other languages. Raven’s End is a wildlife story for readers of all ages, very popular with kids and used in schools. Reading to students and talking with them about writing, natural history and conservation gives Ben as much pleasure as it gives the classes who hear him. Aware of the tight budgeting requirements in education, Ben makes his school visits as inexpensive as possible—particularly when he can put together a tour of several schools in the same area. Call him at 780-852-4012 or e-mail him for more information.
• Interpretive consulting
Ben is renowned for his high-quality interpretive signs, nature trails, interpretive literature and exhibits. Since 1976 he has worked on dozens of such projects for national and provincial parks in the Canadian Rockies. Call him to discuss your needs. Ben can provide professional-quality sign texts quickly and inexpensively.
• Editorial services
Writing something about the Rockies? Making a video or film? When you need to make sure that your text or script is right, call Ben. He has consulted with numerous studios, publishers and other organizations (including the National Geographic Society) to ensure the accuracy and readability of their publications and releases.
• Contact info:
Verdant Pass Ltd.
Box 1557, Jasper, Alberta, Canada T0E 1E0
780-852-4012
Ben has posted written material that you can download! To get the notes on one of his lectures, or his equipment lists for hiking, backpacking and back-country skiing in the Rockies, or the full text of one of his interesting essays/speeches, please go to the Writings page.