To put it plainly:
We need more sea otters.
The kelp along the California shores
are a foundational species
and their forests are galaxies
of life and balance even beyond
the waters and the waves.
The sea urchin eats the kelp. Destroys it.
But the sea otter…
that cute little rascal eats the urchin.
Do you understand? The sea otter keeps us all alive.
We slayed them
for our vanity.
We stole their skin and wore it as a fancy coat
and now there aren’t enough of them out there
and now the western coast of a continent is dying.
We like to think we are superior
to the kingdom of animals.
But we are just urchin.
Unchecked.
I’m saying that
if you like our world,
if you treasure it, as I do,
then you must champion the quiet creature
who holds hands with others as it sleeps
so they will not drift alone.
—
Shannon Corbeil is a screenwriter, actor, and Air Force veteran. She served as an Intelligence Officer after 9/11, providing support to A-10 pilots in South Korea and analyzing cyber threats at the National Security Agency. Serving in the shadow of war contributed to her fascination with the values and temperaments we uphold in our society. She lives in Los Angeles, CA, where she kisses her sweet dog on the face every single day.
