We traveled the 90-mile or so road from Miami, along pine forests, cypress swamps, sawgrass marshes, and ponds to this final outpost and checked into the Flamingo Lodge.

Flamingos, known for their vibrant pink feathers and long legs, have a notable history in Florida and could become its state bird.

We slap it onto just about everything to give it a Florida ... Everglades researcher based in Saint Petersburg. (courtesy, Hilary Flower) Sure, the Northern mockingbird, our current state bird ...

It is also the critical breeding ground for a large variety of wading birds ... a small movement dedicated itself to saving as much of the remaining Everglades as possible. The Florida Federation ...