Cockroaches In Jane Goodall's Hope For Animals And Their World

Cockroaches are essential. Reading that first sentence can surprise, or perhaps even bewilder a reader, and for understandable reason; we shudder at the sight of this seemingly gross insect, associating them with filth, infested walls, and spoiled food. However, one might care to know that this specific bug is actually responsible for playing a large part in the nitrogen cycle and without it, overall forest health and inhabitants would greatly suffer. Like the cockroach, countless insects all around the world provide to our many needs, going unnoticed and unappreciated. Advocate for wildlife conservation, Jane Goodall expresses this through the focus of the endangered American burying beetle. In the argumentative essay, “Hope for Animals and Their World,” Goodall’s

The text states, “Luo calls them ‘nature’s most efficient recyclers’ because they are responsible for recycling decaying animals back into the ecosystem.” (63). Through their act of recycling decaying matter, the American burying beetle restores nutrients to our earth, stimulating growth of plants that we humans greatly need. Through the description of its significant role, the beetle appeals to the reader by proving it matters because it directly affects us. After justifying the necessity of it, Goodall then informs us of its declining population, stating, “By 1920, populations in the East had largely disappeared. By 1970 populations had also disappeared from Ontario, Kentucky, Ohio, and Missouri. And during the 1980s, the beetle declined rapidly throughout the American Midwest” (63). After given this evidence of the beetles’ pressing need for support, the reader then is given reason to help. Due to the decrease in population greatly increasing, the reader is only further influenced to take