2 minute read
Inspiration
When Kristin Borden from PV Publications approached me about creating a California wildlife book, I knew that the universe had orchestrated something special. I was born in Pismo Beach so the California coast is in my bones. My home is now the rocky cliffs of Palos Verdes and my life is dedicated to protecting and improving the lives of the diverse array of wildlife that also inhabit this magical place. As I drive along the coastline, I find myself squinting past the marine layer hoping to catch a glimpse of a migrating gray whale. Weekends are spent traversing jagged cliffs to the abundant tide pools teeming with sea life. Once a week I rise with the sun and watch it glisten on the water’s surface only to be disrupted by the splash of a jumping fish. The beauty of California’s coast is breathtaking.
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But my last few years running the Marine Mammal Care Center have exposed me to the dark reality of what lies beneath the shimmering surface. Toxic barrels of DDT decaying in our backyard. Discarded fishing nets and gear strangling our marine life and creating underwater graveyards for dolphins, sharks, turtles, and other innocent aquatic animals. People shooting sea lions, poisoning wildlife, and setting fire to our forests. Many of the horrible things I’ve seen would make you run and never look back. But we cannot run, and we can’t stop looking. The reality is: we’re our planet’s only hope.
So, with this book, I was inspired to make you fall in love. Because you protect what you love. You fight for it. And you never give up.
I ask you to open these pages in wonder. Let yourself get lost in the beauty of the California coast. Smell the salty air of the ocean. Listen to the echo of the gulls and the calls of the hungry pelicans. Feel the magic of the wind in your hair and catch the spray from a passing orca spouting hello. Feel the ground quake as the majestic mountain lion pounds through the emerald forest.
But don’t let that be the end of your journey. Look up and look around you. What can you do to help? It’s not too late, but we must act swiftly. The organizations featured in this book are the boots on the ground. They work tirelessly and thanklessly, undoing the damage others before them have done. If you do nothing but support these organizations—you will have made a substantial difference for wildlife conservation. But I urge you to do even more: fall in love with this planet, and do everything you possibly can to protect it. Amber Becerra, Esq. Environmental Advocate & CEO
