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Monday 8am - 4pm Tuesday 8am - 4pm Wednesday 8am - 4pm Thursday 8am - 4pm Friday 8am - 4pm Saturday 8am - 4pm

Charlotte Harbor Environmental Center

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Charlotte Harbor Environmental Center

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The Charlotte Harbor Environmental Center is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing environmental education, recreation, and conservation efforts to the local community and beyond.

10/25/2026

For todays , you might want to speak a little quieter. They have big ears (all the better to hear you with), a funny nose (all the better to smell you with), and sharp fangs (all the better to eat…bugs with)! Today, we’re talking about the Rafinesque big eared bat! 👂🦇

Rafinesque's big-eared bat, sometimes known as the southeastern big-eared bat, is a species of vesper bat native to the southeastern United States. Vesper bats are a family of micro bats, meaning this bat is small, around 7.5–10 cm. That makes them about the size of a peach or a grapefruit. What they lack in stature, they make up for in ears! Rafinesque bat ears are 2.7 to 3.7 cm long, making it one third of their total body length.

These use these ears to be sneaky, even fooling researchers. Rafinesque’s big-eared bats are considered difficult to monitor because the low intensity of their echolocation calls means they are rarely detected by the ultrasonic detectors. The challenge of recording their echolocation calls has given them the nickname “whisper bats”.

Even though it might be a challenge, we have learned some fun things about this bat. Like It is one of the few bat species in Florida that will target and pick insects directly off vegetation or the ground, a behavior called “gleaning”. Unlike most bats, which are crepuscular (meaning only active at twilight and/or dawn), Rafinesque’s big-eared bat is fully nocturnal, actively flying and hunting from sunset to sunrise. During this time they pick off night time bugs, like moths, mosquitoes, beetles, and flies.

Rafinesque’s big-eared bats like to roost in a variety of places. Tree roosts may be in living or dead trees but are usually quite large, abandoned buildings, under bridges, in wells, and in caves. Unless you’re living in a large, scary, stony castle, and wearing a cape while running around at night, you probably won't run into these guys. However, if you do, remember it is illegal to remove bats from structures or to otherwise handle them directly in the state of Florida.

10/18/2026

For todays , we’d be remiss if we didn't cover an iconic Halloween classic. It's the Great Pumpkin, Seminole Pumpkin! 🎃

The Seminole pumpkin, or Cucurbita moschata, is a heirloom pumpkin from Florida. It’s been a part of the Florida landscape for ages, traditionally grown by the Calusa, Creek and Miccosukee peoples. These pumpkins were so highly regarded, that the Seminole people gave the name “Chassahowitza” to a region on the gulf in Southwest Florida. The name means “pumpkin hanging place.” It’s likely that the pumpkins they were referring to were Seminole pumpkins.

These pumpkins were amazing for precolonial America, for the same reasons they are one of the most highly cultivated squash in the tropics. The Seminole pumpkin is generally more tolerant of hot, humid weather than squash of other domesticated species. Their thick skin also gives them a greater resistance to certain disease and insects, notably including to the squash vine borer. If you think you haven't tried this pumpkin, you’d be wrong! Commercially-made pumpkin pie mix is most often made from varieties of the Seminole pumpkin.

If you’re not a fan of pumpkin pie, that's ok. You can eat every part of this pumpkin in many different ways. Raw, boiled, fried, baked, mashed, steamed, stuffed, dried, or used in pies. Young fruits can be pickled, and the seeds are eaten raw or roasted. The flowers, leaves, and young stems are eaten as a green vegetable or added to soups. Young, green fruits can also be harvested and eaten without peeling. And your favorite squash, butternut squash? Born from this very pumpkin!

So while this pumpkin may not be as famous as Charlie Brown’s, I think we can all agree it’s a Great Pumpkin!

10/13/2026

Defending the Swamp, Protecting the Wild💚🐊

Meet us in The Swamp on Saturday, December 19th, for an action-packed night that gives back to CHEC! Not only does this game benefit CHEC, but it's also Margaritaville night 🧉 So grab your limes and join the search for lost shakers of salt as we watch the Florida Everblades take on the Jacksonville Icemen! 🏒Plus, the first 1,500 fans will receive an Everblades jersey koozie!

A portion of each ticket purchased through the link will be generously donated to CHEC. Grab your discounted CHEC fundraiser tickets today!

https://everblades.spinzo.com/charlotte-harbor-environmental-center-everblades-fundraiser-night-2026-12-19-UQDYA?group=charlotte-harbor-environmental-center-y5hw

Go Blades!

10/11/2026

For todays , our friend is cloaked in a shroud of darkness. They are mysterious and quick, confusing many scientists. Today, our species is… the Sherman's Fox Squirrel! 🐿

The Sherman's fox squirrel was named after H. B. Sherman, an esteemed ecologist who studied small mammals. He made many contributions to the study of small mammals, even inventing a humane trap which is still used today. While we still use his trap, the squirrel has gone through some renaming.

The Sherman’s fox squirrel was recently renamed the southern fox squirrel. This is due to the fox squirrels having no genetic differences. However, they do have a different morphology! While other fox squirrels can come in a myriad of colors, the Sherman’s fox squirrel will often have a black head and body (or mask and cape), and can even be fully black! This unique morphology is thought to be due to help the squirrels blend into ash from Florida’s frequent forest fires. Some argue that this is enough to keep the distinct Sherman’s title.

Whoever these guys are, they are fun to see but hard to spot! Fox squirrels use a variety of habitat types throughout their range, but in Florida can most frequently be observed in the sandhills and mesic flatwoods. They can be found leaping from the branches of longleaf pines, nibbling away at longleaf pine seeds and turkey oak acorns, but they will also eat fungi, fruit, and buds. They can also be found collecting Spanish moss to line their cozy dens.

Whether these guys are Sherman’s squirrels or just regular fox squirrels, you have to admit, their costumes are awesome!

10/06/2026

It's Florida Climate Week! This week encourages the preservation of Florida’s natural resources and promotes responsible stewardship. Our Vertical Oyster Gardening program strives to do just that! 🌎💙

To celebrate, we will be hosting a Vertical Oyster Gardening Workshop this Friday, October 9th, at 10:30 am at CHEC. With support from our friends at the VoLo Foundation, this free program will encourage participants to get hands-on for cleaner water! Learn about Charlotte Harbor’s water quality challenges and build an oyster garden that helps nature do the work.

Only a couple of spots are left, so be sure to grab yours while you can! https://www.checflorida.org/event-details/vertical-oyster-gardening-workshop-3

10/04/2026

For this , we’re getting a little bit spooky, with species that are often misunderstood! Our species today is known for snarling fangs, hunting and pouncing on their prey, caring for their young, and living in dens. Today, we are talking about the Florida wolf….spider. 🐺🕷

Florida wolf spider, also known as Hogna miami or Miami wolf spider, is a species of wolf spider found in the southern portion of the state of Florida. They are lighter than other wolf spiders, known for their dusky yellow legs and their cream colored stripe from their cephalothorax (when the head and thorax are fused together) to its abdomen.

The Florida wolf spider, like all wolf spiders, are a unique spider family as they hunt for their food instead of making a web. Usually no web means no house for a spider, so wolf spiders make their own burrows or dens underneath the ground. Since they hunt for their food, they also have excellent eyesight, unlike most spiders that depend on vibrations. Their eyes are a key characteristic of telling these spiders apart, as wolf spiders have front facing eyes, like a predator.

Wolf spiders are not only incredible hunters, but they’re also incredible mothers too. Wolf spiders will carry their babies while they’re in the egg sac, attached to her abdomen. The abdomen must be held in a raised position to keep the egg case from dragging on the ground. Despite this handicap, they are still capable of hunting. After the spiderlings are born, the work isn't over! As soon as they emerge, they clamber up their mother's legs and crowd onto the dorsal side of her abdomen. The mother carries the spiderlings for several weeks before they are large enough to disperse and fend for themselves.

While they may seem scary, they are a beneficial arthropod to have around, eating species that are considered nuisances in farms or gardens. A wolf spider diet can consist of crickets, ants, cockroaches, and in some cases lizards and frogs. It seems the big bad wolf spider isn't so bad at all!

09/27/2026

Was that a UFO?! No, it was just the mating call of this weeks , the Southern Chorus Frog!👽🐸

The southern chorus frog is a very small frog, around 2.5 cm (1 in) in length. They can range from a brown, to a tan or gray, often with numerous black markings that may appear as rows of spots or faint stripes. Individuals may vary in color depending on the environment and the time of day, but usually they are the darkest of the southeastern chorus frogs. A pale, sometimes nearly white, line runs along the upper lip. I like to think of it as a mustache.

The frogs are not only small but very secretive. Unlike other chorus frogs, these frogs spend their time in burrows or under logs. They are equally as demure with their mating call, calling from deep within dense grass clumps or tussocks, often with only their heads protruding from the water.

The chorus frog's mating call is very unique, often being compared to the sound of your finger running down the teeth of a comb, or a metal “tink” noise. You can hear both of these sounds here: https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/discover-herps/florida-frog-calls/
Or, you can wait till November-December, when their mating season starts.

While these guys aren't endangered, they are impacted by pollution and runoff in our waterways. If you want to be serenaded by mother nature, skip the lawn fertilizers and pesticides!

09/25/2026

Today is a very exciting day because our gopher tortoise, Sleepy Jean, is back from his stay at Peace River Wildlife Center - PRWC! But how did we find Sleepy Jean?🤔

Sleepy Jean was found by our park staff outside of his burrow, snoozing by the trash cans. It was rainy and cloudy day, which is relaxing to humans, but is not weather typically enjoyed by tortoises. After an inspection, Sleepy Jean was alert, but he just didn't feel like moving. He was moved to a safer sunny dry patch, and after a couple hours he started grazing. But that was not the last of ol' Sleepy Jean!

He fell asleep in unsafe places again. And again, and again. After he hadn't moved for an entire day, it was clear he was in distress and we would have to step in. Inspecting again, we noticed his watery eyes and mucus. Sleepy Jean had Upper Respiratory Tract Disease, or URTD. A very common sickness for an animal who breathes so close to the ground.

We made the desicion to bring him to Peace River Wildlife Center, and after treatment, hes back and better than before! Thank you PRWC!

It's important to make sure any animal you are thinking of bringing to a wildlife hospital truly requires your help. If you are unsure, please refer to PRWC's page for sick animal information: https://prwildlife.org/what-we-do/rescue-rehab/i-found-an-injured-animal-now-what/

09/23/2026

Join us for a special Vertical Oyster Gardening workshop as part of Florida Climate Week 2026, presented by on Friday, October 9th at 10:30 am.💙🦪💙

Dive into the water quality challenges of Charlotte Harbor and uncover the surprising superpower of oysters! Get hands-on and make a difference by building your own Vertical Oyster Garden that will help to filter and clean Florida’s waterways, one oyster at a time.

We hope to see you there to shellebrate Florida Climate Week 2026!

Register here: https://www.checflorida.org/event-details/vertical-oyster-gardening-workshop-3

09/22/2026

Paddling with a purpose! 🛶

CHEC staff and volunteers enjoyed a beautiful day on the water as participants in this year's International Coastal Cleanup! Setting out along Alligator Creek, the crew collected countless bags of trash, much of which was styrofoam, which can take over 500 years to decompose. A lot of trash gets pushed up in the mangroves that line the creek, making it inconvenient to collect. But not for our team! We carefully collected every piece that we could to help keep Alligator Creek clean for healthy water and wildlife.

Thank you to Keep Charlotte Beautiful for helping to coordinate countywide cleanups just like this one! And, of course, to our wonderful volunteers who without, none of this would be possible or as fun!

Address

10941 Burnt Store Road
Punta Gorda, FL
33955

Opening Hours

Monday	8am - 4pm
Tuesday	8am - 4pm
Wednesday	8am - 4pm
Thursday	8am - 4pm
Friday	8am - 4pm
Saturday	8am - 4pm

Website

http://www.checflorida.org/

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