John Kalafarski -
Everglades Boat Tours

Dedicated to the experiential education of students, families and travelers from Florida, the Americas and the World. Only through education, do we have the opportunity to preserve the Everglades, its culture and its heritage.

John is a premier back country specialist. He has a bachelors degree from the University of Northern Arizona in botany and graduate degrees from Oregon State in forest pathology. During his college years, he worked as "hotshot crew" (forest fire fighter) in Arizona's Coconimo National Forest and Oregon's Deschute National Forest. John worked as a pathologist for the U.S. Forest Service in Oregon, Washington, Arizona, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. Working for the National Park service, he's been stationed in such diverse areas as Alaska, Denali National Park, and for the past twenty five years in Florida's Everglades. He is currently with the National Park service as a back country ranger and fisheries specialist.

He has hiked and canoed through the Everglades from the ranger station in Flamingo to Shark Valley and all the waterways in and around Everglades City and Chokoloskee Island. John is also deeply involved with a plant survey, a fifteen year effort, in the Fakahatchee Strand section of the Everglades. He is adept at finding and classifying rare plants including great numbers of wild orchids.

John leads our Guided Swamp Tours and various kayaking adventures. He is super enthusiastic, incredibly knowledgeable, enjoys working with people including youngsters, and opens a whole new world for visitors to the Everglades. When you take a tour with John, leave your watch at home!

Capt Charles Wright »

Capt Bruce Hitchcock »

Ron Wofford »

John Kalafarski »

Don "Woodkayaker" McCumber »