Lake Wales Ridge National Wildlife Refuge
The Lake Wales Ridge National Wildlife Refuge is part of the United States National Wildlife Refuge System, located in four separated areas on the Lake Wales Ridge east of US 27 between Davenport and Sebring Florida. The 1,194 acre refuge was established in 1990, to protect a host of plants and animals. It is also the first to be designated primarily for the preservation of endangered plants, and is not open to the general public. It contains a high proportion of remaining Florida scrub habitat. It is administered as part of the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge.Management
Since 2012 the Lake Wales Ridge NWR has been administered by the Everglades Headwaters National Wildlife Refuge Complex, along with the Pelican Island NWR, Archie Carr NWR, and the Everglades Headwaters National Wildlife Refuge and Conservation Area.Flora
The plants the refuge was designed to protect are the snakeroot, scrub blazing star, Carter's mustard, papery Whitlow-wort, Florida bonamia, scrub lupine, highlands scrub hypericum, Garett's mint, scrub mint, pygmy fringetree, wireweed, sandlace, Florida ziziphus, and scrub plum.Fauna
The animals the refuge was designed to protect are the Florida scrub jay, eastern indigo snake, bluetail mole skink, and sand skink.
