Award Winning Naturalist at CHEC Program April 1

South Florida naturalist, wildlife author, photographer and "Naked and Afraid" consultant, Roger Hammer will do a guided flower-power hike,  presentation and book signing at the Charlotte Harbor Environmental Center on April 1.  

The wild flower hike part of the program, limited to 20 participants, will start at 5 p.m. and  is $10. A Meet & Greet" with Mr. Hammer,  which includes wine, smoked mullet dip, cheese & crackers begins at 6:30 p.m. at the Caniff  Center.  Mr. Hammer 's presentation will start at 7:30 p.m. in the lecture room within the Welcome Center.  A donation of $10 per person for nonmembers ( or free to members) for the "Meet & Greet" and presentation is recommended to help CHEC underwrite environmental education. Please call (941) 575-5435 or email thomas@checflorida.org.  

Roger L. Hammer is an award-winning professional naturalist, author, botanist and photographer who offers entertaining and informative programs to orchid societies,garden clubs, butterfly organizations, Audubon societies, environmental groups, botanical gardens, and civic organizations.He worked as the senior naturalist for Metro-Dade County’s park system for more than three decades. Although he is self-taught, he is considered among the world’s most accomplished botanists of the American tropics and has an honorary doctorate from Florida International University to go along with his high school diploma. 

Mr. Hammer spends his leisure time bird watching, long-distance canoeing, kayak fishing, and sipping expensive rums. Roger also works as a survivalist instructor for the Discovery Channel on their reality TV program, Naked and Afraid. Roger grew up in Cocoa Beach but moved to Homestead after being honorably discharged from the Army in 1968 as a tank gunner.


The Charlotte Harbor Environmental Center, Inc., is a private, non-profit 501(c) (3) corporation providing environmental education, recreation, environmental research, and conservation lands management services to the citizens and visitors of the greater Charlotte Harbor area since 1987. CHEC headquarters are located at Alligator Creek in Punta Gorda (10941 Burnt Store Rd.) with a second facility at Cedar Point in Englewood (2300 Placida Rd.).