The area \( A \) of a circle can be calculated using the formula:
\[ A = \pi r^2 \]
where \( r \) is the radius of the circle.
Given that the radius \( r \) is 12 meters and using \( \pi \approx 3.14 \), we can substitute these values into the formula:
\[ A = 3.14 \times (12)^2 \]
First, calculate \( (12)^2 \):
\[ (12)^2 = 144 \]
Now substitute this back into the area formula:
\[ A = 3.14 \times 144 \]
Now, perform the multiplication:
\[ A = 452.16 \]
Therefore, the area of the circle, rounded to the nearest hundredth, is:
\[ \boxed{452.16} \text{ square meters} \]