Life of Amanda Margraves, bird rescuer, remembered

A Key Largo celebration of life for wildlife rehabilitator Amanda Margraves today will recall her work saving injured birds in the Florida Keys.

Amanda Autumn (Barber) Margraves, 35, died May 13 in Miami-Dade County. She worked as a rescuer and rehabilitator at the Florida Keys Wild Bird Center in Tavernier from August 2011 to September 2015 and spent more than 16 years in the wildlife field.

“A beautiful, kind, caring, talented and fearless wildlife rehabilitator and animal advocate, Amanda will be missed by all the lives she touched, both animals and people,” said Joan Scholz, former manager at the bird center.

Margraves held a bachelor’s degree in zoology from the University of Michigan, the state where she grew up. She dedicated her career to birds and wildlife, including time in Belize. She most recently worked with Zoo Miami and Wildlife Rescue of Dade County.

Relatives posted online messages linking her sudden death to “losing a life-long battle with depression.”

A funeral is scheduled to take place today at Branam Funeral Home, 809 N. Krome Ave. in Homestead. Visitation begins at 8 a.m. with the funeral at 9:30. Interment will follow at Caballero Rivero Palms Woodlawn Park, 27100 Old Dixie Highway in Naranja.

The Key Largo celebration of life will begin at 4 p.m. today at Snapper’s Oceanfront Restaurant on Seaside Avenue off mile marker 94.5 ocean.

This story was originally published May 18, 2017 at 4:25 PM with the headline "Life of Amanda Margraves, bird rescuer, remembered."