Overview: Anne Kolb Nature Center is 1,500 acres of mostly water and restored mangrove forest set along the shores of West Lake. The setting makes it a bird magnet and an important feeding ground, breeding ground and nursery for dozens of avian and aquatic species. The abundance of birds makes it a stop on the Great Florida Birding Trail.
There are four trails within Anne Kolb, three of which are relatively short and have benches or observation platforms at the end or along the way. That includes the aptly named fishing pier trail, which has two small piers, where you can just enjoy the view if you don't have your fishing pole with you.
Anne Kolb is the largest of Broward County's nature centers.
History: The name honors Anne Kolb, a former journalist who was the first woman elected to the Broward County Commission and ardent environmental activist who fought to preserve the land where the park sits. Broward County bought the land in 1990, nine years after Kolb's death; the Anne Kolb Nature Center opened in February 1996.
What You'll See: What you'll see is an assortment of life, raccoons, blue land crabs, fiddler crabs, mangrove tree crabs, the rare and beautiful atala butterfly Lone of the few places we've seen them outside Palm Beach County), and birds — great egrets, great blue herons, ospreys, ibis, little blues,
Amenities: Anne Kolb has as an indoor center, an observation tower, amphitheater, rest rooms and drinking water. There is ample parking.
Nearby: The Dr. D. Von Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park is a few miles to the north near Port Everglades. The Secret Woods Nature Center is to the northwest along the New River in Fort Lauderdale.
Links: The Great Florida Birding Trail's take on Anne Kolb Nature Center is here. The Friends of Anne Kolb Nature Center is here.
Of Note: Hours vary by the time of the year. During the months when standard time is in effect, early November to early March: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. During savings time, early March to eEarly November: 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Admission to the center is free, but there is a fee to enter the exhibit hall.
Cover Photo: A white egret doing what wading birds do: forage in the shallows and mudflats. Second photo: A boardwalk leading through a mangrove swamp, one of the short trails at Anne Kolb Nature Center.
There are four trails within Anne Kolb, three of which are relatively short and have benches or observation platforms at the end or along the way. That includes the aptly named fishing pier trail, which has two small piers, where you can just enjoy the view if you don't have your fishing pole with you.
Anne Kolb is the largest of Broward County's nature centers.
History: The name honors Anne Kolb, a former journalist who was the first woman elected to the Broward County Commission and ardent environmental activist who fought to preserve the land where the park sits. Broward County bought the land in 1990, nine years after Kolb's death; the Anne Kolb Nature Center opened in February 1996.
What You'll See: What you'll see is an assortment of life, raccoons, blue land crabs, fiddler crabs, mangrove tree crabs, the rare and beautiful atala butterfly Lone of the few places we've seen them outside Palm Beach County), and birds — great egrets, great blue herons, ospreys, ibis, little blues,
Amenities: Anne Kolb has as an indoor center, an observation tower, amphitheater, rest rooms and drinking water. There is ample parking.
Nearby: The Dr. D. Von Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park is a few miles to the north near Port Everglades. The Secret Woods Nature Center is to the northwest along the New River in Fort Lauderdale.
Links: The Great Florida Birding Trail's take on Anne Kolb Nature Center is here. The Friends of Anne Kolb Nature Center is here.
Of Note: Hours vary by the time of the year. During the months when standard time is in effect, early November to early March: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. During savings time, early March to eEarly November: 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Admission to the center is free, but there is a fee to enter the exhibit hall.
Cover Photo: A white egret doing what wading birds do: forage in the shallows and mudflats. Second photo: A boardwalk leading through a mangrove swamp, one of the short trails at Anne Kolb Nature Center.
Virtual Tour
Click on the photos below for full-sized images and detailed descriptions.
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A Towering Presence 
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Mudflats: A Wading Bird's Buffet 
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The View From Avove 
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Guardians of the Land 
Getting There ...
DIRECTIONS: From north or south, take I-95 to Sheridan Street, exit and head east on Sheridan. Anne Kolb Nature Center is 3.2 miles from the Interstate, about a ten-minuate drive. The entrance is on the north side of Sheridan Street.
Photo Gallery for Anne Kolb Nature Center
Click on the photograph to see an enlarged image. Click on the name to read more about the species.
Note: All photographs above were taken within the confines of Anne Kolb Nature Center.
Published by Wild South Florida, PO Box 7241, Delray Beach, FL 33482.
Photographs by David Sedore. Photographs are property of the publishers and may not be used without permission.