Circle B Bar Reserve is a 1,267-acre protected wetland area near Lakeland in central Florida, preserving restored marshland in the Banana Creek area on the site of a former cattle ranch. Purchased in 2000 through county environmental land funding approved in 1994, it protects habitat for birds and other wildlife, including white ibis, roseate spoonbills, sandhill cranes, bald eagles, alligators, bobcats, river otters, and wild hogs. Recognized on the Great Florida Birding Trail, it is also a major center for outdoor education, with Polk’s Nature Discovery Center and trail connections that support wildlife viewing, hiking, biking, and school and family programs.