Make your reservation to attend the 39th Annual Peace River Audubon Banquet held at beautiful Twin Isles Country Club in Punta Gorda. A silent auction, photo display and great food will be a part of the evening’s activities. The featured presentation will be “Pearls of Cuba” by Thomas Hecker the CEO of Charlotte Harbor Environmental Center will. Immediately prior to joining The Eco-Center , Mr. Hecker was the Director of Operations at Cinco Ceibas in Costa Rica as well as the owner of an environmental and horticultural consulting firm serving clients such as the Conservancy of Southwest Florida, Houston Zoo, Singapore’s Garden by the Bay, Miami Beach Botanical Garden and David Copperfield’s residence and resort in the Bahamas. He was also the founding Director of Horticulture at the Naples Botanical Garden, served as the first Director of Magic Wings Butterfly House and Insectarium for the  Museum of Life and Science in Durham, NC and worked at the renowned Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis, MO.

In addition to his more than a decade of non-profit management experience, Mr. Hecker holds degrees in environmental studies  and horticulture with a Certificate in Non-profit Management from Duke University, NC.

Born in Cleveland and raised on the Alafia River south of Tampa. Mr. Hecker and his wife Jennifer, the Director of Natural Resource Policy at the Conservancy of SW Florida, have two adult sons, Reed and Forest. He has traveled the globe leading natural history trips, collecting tropical flora and fauna for educational display purposes and providing consulting services for resorts, individuals, museums, zoos and botanical gardens, but always enjoys returning to Florida to share his passion for the local environment.