English naturalist and broadcaster David Attenborough once said, “It is that range of biodiversity that we must care for–the whole thing–rather than just one or two stars.” The California Tiger

Salamander may not

be as cute as duckling,

as cuddly as a panda

bear, nor as majestic

as an elephant, but

this species matters.

Every single animal

has the right to live.

Each species has an

interdependence with

one another which

their survival depends

on. Humanity’s greed

and seemingly

insatiable thirst for

more has squashed

countless species

forever. We can not let this happen to the California Tiger Salamander. We can not afford to lose another stitch in the quilt California’s beautiful species have fabricated. We must stop pulling the thread before it is too late or else we may lose more than just this salamander. The California Tiger Salamander must be saved for future generations because of bequest value, to enjoy the beauty of California’s natural heritage. As Collete Adkins Giese from Center for Biological Diversity asserts, “We need to do everything we can to make sure the California Tiger Salamander does NOT vanish.”