Free Polk Environmental Lands Calendar a Tribute to Volunteers

Polk County’s annual Environmental Lands Program calendar, which is dedicated to its volunteers and features natural sites throughout the county, is out and available to the public for free.

The calendars can be picked up at the Nature Discovery Center at Circle B Bar Reserve, or at the reception desk in the Communications Division in Bartow.

Polk’s volunteers know the ins and outs of what’s going on out in the field. They see and hear things no one else does. And their varied backgrounds provide them with a host of knowledge they want to share.

Polk’s volunteers form the backbone of our operation among the different sites managed in the program. They host classes, information sessions, tram tours and hikes. They assist with summer camps, maintenance of our facilities and provide assistance in hosting school groups.

As you flip through the calendar, which was shot by volunteers Jeff and Lynette Spence, you will see a variety of nature habitats around the county that the program manages.

Since 2008, the Environmental Lands Program has had more than 650 volunteers donate more than 91,000 hours of their time, which amounts to about a $2 million benefit to the county and its taxpayers.

For more information on volunteer-led programs and scheduled events, visit http://www.polk-county.net.