Otter-wise known as a mitzvah project!

I have had a love for Sea otters for a long time, they are very important for our ecosystem, in fact they are a keystone species. My bat mitvah charity project, also known as a mitzvah project, is to help Sea Otters. To do this we are helping raise money for Shedd aquariums save the otters projects. (https://www.sheddaquarium.org/animals/sea-otter)

I got to visit these otters in person and learn more about them. This encounter made me want to give back even more. And make sure that more people know how special Sea Otters are.

But why are they so important? Going back to when I mentioned that they are a keystone species which means they are helping ecosystems thrive, otters eat sea urchins, sea urchins are one of the marine animals that graze along kelp, so with otters decreasing their population by eating them, the kelp forests can thrive while preventing warming of the ocean, capturing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, sheltering and feeding many other marine life.

Sadly, very many land animals and marine animals, including otters, face one of the biggest threats to animals and humans, pollution.

Pollution is harming many animals, and animals that are also keystone species like Sea Otters. If these and other animals helping support the ecosystem become extinct, entire ecosystems can fall apart.

I’m aware many people have the mindset of something like “I’m just one person I’m barely going to make a change.” Or “there are other people helping so I don’t need to” , but if we can all become that person helping, we can make a huge change. But YOU need to help. Even if you’re a kid or someone who has no idea how, you can start small like making sure you recycle everything that can/should be recycled, using a cloth bag, reusing plastic, cutting plastic thing animals could get there head stuck in (six pack ring, etc.), and even stop using plastic straws.

YOU can be a hero and help have the world!

So now that you know about this, what are you going to do after you donate to the otters?