Sometimes we catch ourselves just before we fall and claw our way back to the top of the cliff side.
Such is the history of humanity. In most instances the plants and animals in our arbor are wiped out, some seen, and some unseen and all never to be seen again. This systematic and systemic slaughter takes many forms. It is in the service of the deity Progress that beckons us to thoughtlessly throw species, some considered undesirable, into the abyss.
For an extended period of time, as Todd McLeish explains, we used the Sea Otter and its supremely useful and marketable pelt to line the coffers and coats of many a European nobleman. Hunted in many of it traditional ranges to extinction, the sublime and humble creature was all but ready to exit our Earth, when it was noticed that the World might become less charming without the Sea Otter.
In addition, the ecosystems it had established itself in were bereft and left in shambles. This book details the fight to reestablish the Sea Otter in new and traditional ranges and gives an excellent and readable overview that touches on environmental study, economics, and the relationship between predators and human harvesters of their prey.
Sometimes the battle for Humanity is fought for the preservation of our own backyard. It is the spoils of that war that may hold the key to a continued future for not just the Sea Otter, but for all members of Eden.
This book is a microcosm of that battle worth seeking. Plus Sea Otters are so damn cute!
Sometimes we catch ourselves just before we fall and claw our way back to the top of the cliff side.
Such is the history of humanity. In most instances the plants and animals in our arbor are wiped out, some seen, and some unseen and all never to be seen again. This systematic and systemic slaughter takes many forms. It is in the service of the deity Progress that beckons us to thoughtlessly throw species, some considered undesirable, into the abyss.
For an extended period of time, as Todd McLeish explains, we used the Sea Otter and its supremely useful and marketable pelt to line the coffers and coats of many a European nobleman. Hunted in many of it traditional ranges to extinction, the sublime and humble creature was all but ready to exit our Earth, when it was noticed that the World might become less charming without the Sea Otter.
In addition, the ecosystems it had established itself in were bereft and left in shambles. This book details the fight to reestablish the Sea Otter in new and traditional ranges and gives an excellent and readable overview that touches on environmental study, economics, and the relationship between predators and human harvesters of their prey.
Sometimes the battle for Humanity is fought for the preservation of our own backyard. It is the spoils of that war that may hold the key to a continued future for not just the Sea Otter, but for all members of Eden.
This book is a microcosm of that battle worth seeking. Plus Sea Otters are so damn cute!