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Circle B Bar Reserve

Lakeland, United States of America

Circle B Bar Reserve

The Circle B Bar Reserve is an area of protected lands in Polk County, Florida, United States. Consisting of 1,267 acres (5.13 km2) near Lakeland, the restored wetlands site is managed by the Polk County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC), which co-owns it with the Southwest Florida Water Manageme

nt District. The park was purchased in 2000 for $7.4 million using funds provided by an environmental lands acquisition referendum approved by voters in 1994. Polk's Nature Discovery Center, completed in 2008, features interactive displays about the plants, animals, and ecosystems of the reserve. The center serves as the focus of environmental education programs and explorations for families, school groups, teachers, adults, and other visitors. Construction began in 2007, consisting of four buildings totaling 16,000 square feet at a cost of $6.4 million. Circle B Bar Reserve is named after the cattle ranch that once occupied the site. It was purchased to help maintain the Banana Creek marsh area, home to an array of birds, such as white ibis, roseate spoonbills, sandhill cranes and bald eagles, along with other wildlife, like alligators, bobcats, snakes, gray squirrels, river otters, and...

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