A 14-year-old whose visits to Marathon inspired a love for precious bird species in the Sunshine State is now making her voice heard in the state Capitol.
The granddaughter of longtime Marathon residents Richard and Nancy Warner, Annika Baltzersen has spent the past six months lending her voice — and creative energy — to an effort to give Florida’s official symbols a colorful update.
Inspired by her many visits with Kelly Grinter at the Marathon Wild Bird Center, where she developed a deep appreciation for Florida’s endangered wild birds, Annika is advocating for two pieces of legislation moving through Tallahassee: House Bill 11 and Senate Bill 150. The bills propose naming the American flamingo as Florida’s new state bird and designating the Florida scrub jay as the state’s official songbird. The mockingbird is currently the state bird; there is no state songbird.
“I’ve known Annika since she was a baby. They come visit us at the Bird Center every time they’re here,” Grinter told the Weekly. “She’s very, very curious and just wants to learn. She has a great mother who introduces all kinds of stuff into their lives. We’ve done necropsies on birds together, and Annika is always very interested. She’s a very intelligent young lady.”
Working closely with the bills’ sponsors, state Rep. Jim Mooney and Sen. Ana Maria Rodriguez, Annika helped develop outreach ideas to spread awareness and rally support across the state. She built a website, newbirdsforflorida.com, launched a companion Facebook page New Birds for Florida, and even designed merchandise whose proceeds benefit a Florida scrub jay conservation group in Volusia County.
Annika has made multiple visits to the state Capitol to share stickers, meet with legislators and talk about the importance of recognizing the state’s native wildlife and protecting their habitats. She has also written dozens of emails to lawmakers, urging them to vote “yes” as the bills progress through their committees.
What started as a small 4-H civics project has become Annika’s personal mission: to help Floridians everywhere take pride in their natural heritage, one colorful bird at a time. She thanked Mooney, Rodriguez and their teams for welcoming her to the Capitol and helping her learn how Florida’s legislative process works.
“I was psyched to see her take this and run with it,” Grinter said.
At press time, HB11 has passed the House 112-1 and is awaiting consideration by the Senate Rules Committee before heading to a Senate vote. If the legislation passes this session, the new state birds would take their perch on July 1.
