Ezra Schwartzberg is originally from Saranac Lake and spent 10 years working in academia in Kentucky, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin researching invasive species. Ezra moved back to Saranac Lake in 2012 with a goal to use his passion for research to improve regional social and environmental issues. This led to performing field surveys of invasive species and then to creating beautiful maps. In recent years, the maps he and his team makes have taken on a life of their own — working their way into stores as waterproof outdoor recreation maps, onto nature preserves in the form of wayfinding and trailhead kiosks, and into research studies for invasive species management.