--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Maybe the only explanation for people who…" description: "\"“Maybe the only explanation for people who have to ask why the Florida grasshopper sparrow matters is this: It matters not because it is a source of en..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc7/peter-p-marra-31529_pest-control_maybe-the-only-explanation-for-people-wh_2615267.jpg" --- # Maybe the only explanation for people who have to ask why… ![“Maybe the only explanation for people who have to ask why the Florida grasshopper sparrow matters is this: It matters not because it is a source of enrichment for human lives (although it is), not because it is a source of medicine or agent of pest control (it is probably neither), not because it…” quote by Peter P. Marra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc7/peter-p-marra-31529_pest-control_maybe-the-only-explanation-for-people-wh_2615267.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc7/peter-p-marra-31529_pest-control_maybe-the-only-explanation-for-people-wh_2615267.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc7/peter-p-marra-31529_pest-control_maybe-the-only-explanation-for-people-wh_2615267.jpg) > ““Maybe the only explanation for people who have to ask why the Florida grasshopper sparrow matters is this: It matters not because it is a source of enrichment for human lives (although it is), not because it is a source of medicine or agent of pest control (it is probably neither), not because it is an “indicator species” that tells us we haven’t completely wrecked our habitat, not because it is anything, only because it is.3”” [Peter P. Marra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-p-marra/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The grasshopper sparrow matters simply because it exists, not for utilitarian reasons, emphasizing intrinsic value of species. **In simple terms:** Species matter for their own sake. Key Takeaway Value life beyond utility. Themes environment ethics intrinsic value Mood reflective serious Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - habitat protection - education programs - policy advocacy - citizen science Key Concepts conservation philosophy biodiversity Questions to Reflect On - How do you recognize intrinsic value? - What actions honor species existence? A Different Perspective Human‑centric views may ignore ecosystem interdependence. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Pest control](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pest-control/) ## Related quotes > [“It helps if you don’t think of them as human. More than one officer has called this job pest control.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-amsden/it-helps-if-you-don-t-think-of-them-as-human-more-than-one-officer/) [Christine Amsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-amsden/) > [“Wait—no, not drifting. Following us. “We have an audience,” I said to Reth, nodding at the clusters of flying insects. “I suppose we can’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiersten-white/wait-no-not-drifting-following-us-we-have-an-audience-i-said-to-reth/) [Kiersten White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiersten-white/) > [I have had almost every job under the sun, it feels like. One of the first jobs I took was as a door-to-door pest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shay-carl/i-have-had-almost-every-job-under-the-sun-it-feels-like-one-of-the/) [Shay Carl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shay-carl/) > [“Ecosystem services are things like crop pollination, carbon sequestration, climate regulation, water purification, air purification, nutrient dispersal, nutrient recycling, waste processing, flood control, pest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-h-diamandis/ecosystem-services-are-things-like-crop-pollination-carbon/) [Peter H. Diamandis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-h-diamandis/) > [What we should be very concerned about is the excesses and the abuses. Where we see hunts where the fox is torn away out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huw-irranca-davies/what-we-should-be-very-concerned-about-is-the-excesses-and-the-abuses/) Huw Irranca-Davies > [Every farmer must go to the seed industry every year to buy their seed and pay an 80 percent royalty to a corporation. Over-the-fence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vandana-shiva/every-farmer-must-go-to-the-seed-industry-every-year-to-buy-their/) [Vandana Shiva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vandana-shiva/) > [“Shelly looked around the jamb again as though whatever animal that had been terrorizing her had a weapon. “That doesn’t look like typical rat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-alexander/shelly-looked-around-the-jamb-again-as-though-whatever-animal-that/) [Robin Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-alexander/) > [“For one group of wasps, the braconids, transferred genes have enabled a bizarre form of pest control. The females of these wasps lay their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-yong/for-one-group-of-wasps-the-braconids-transferred-genes-have-enabled-a/) [Ed Yong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-yong/) > [“In fact, wheat has been modified by humans to such a degree that modern strains are unable to survive in the wild without human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-davis/in-fact-wheat-has-been-modified-by-humans-to-such-a-degree-that/) [William Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-davis/) > [Oh, how I vainly wished to the bearded man in the sky that I was Neapolitan. Why? So I could bring in a fine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/oh-how-i-vainly-wished-to-the-bearded-man-in-the-sky-that-i-was/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Cyber Leader: Daleks, be warned. You have declared war upon the Cybermen. Dalek Sec: This is not war - this is pest control! Cyber…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-t-davies/cyber-leader-daleks-be-warned-you-have-declared-war-upon-the-cybermen/) [Russell T Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-t-davies/) > [Pastor Veronica told the story of a sparrow lying in the street with its legs straight up in the air, straining. a warhorse walks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/pastor-veronica-told-the-story-of-a-sparrow-lying-in-the-street-with/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [I am only a sparrow amongst a great flock of sparrows.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evita-peron/i-am-only-a-sparrow-amongst-a-great-flock-of-sparrows/) [Evita Peron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evita-peron/) > [“Be a sparrow, I told myself. Be silent and fly away. No one will bother you if you disappear.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-whitcomb/be-a-sparrow-i-told-myself-be-silent-and-fly-away-no-one-will-bother/) [Laura Whitcomb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-whitcomb/) > [My sparrow, she flickers and wakes and sings and sings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-ann-sandell/my-sparrow-she-flickers-and-wakes-and-sings-and-sings/) [Lisa Ann Sandell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-ann-sandell/) ## More by Peter P. Marra > [“Certain bird species—herons, terns and ibises, for example—mesmerized Roosevelt. As president he insisted that killing one of these Florida exotics was a federal crime.”5”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-p-marra/certain-bird-species-herons-terns-and-ibises-for-example-mesmerized/) [Peter P. Marra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-p-marra/) > [“Few problems are less recognized, but more important than, the accelerating disappearance of the earth’s biological resources. In pushing other species to extinction, humanity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-p-marra/few-problems-are-less-recognized-but-more-important-than-the/) [Peter P. Marra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-p-marra/) > [“many leaders would rather postpone action—take a wait-and-see attitude—than proactively work toward a solution.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-p-marra/many-leaders-would-rather-postpone-action-take-a-wait-and-see/) [Peter P. Marra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-p-marra/) > [“Cats are opportunistic predators by nature. If given a chance to kill a bird or other small animal, most cats will take it. That…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-p-marra/cats-are-opportunistic-predators-by-nature-if-given-a-chance-to-kill/) [Peter P. Marra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-p-marra/) > [“By the time Lyall set foot on the shores of Stephens Island, almost a third of New Zealand’s unique species were already extinct due…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-p-marra/by-the-time-lyall-set-foot-on-the-shores-of-stephens-island-almost-a/) [Peter P. Marra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-p-marra/) > [“At the same time, they will also express great concern about the future that awaits us should this at once powerful and fragile web…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-p-marra/at-the-same-time-they-will-also-express-great-concern-about-the/) [Peter P. Marra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-p-marra/) > [“As in the United States, this makes cats the most significant source of direct anthropogenic bird mortality.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-p-marra/as-in-the-united-states-this-makes-cats-the-most-significant-source/) [Peter P. Marra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-p-marra/) > [“The final mortality numbers showed that cats killed between 1.3 and 4 billion (median 2.4 billion) birds per year, with unowned cats causing the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-p-marra/the-final-mortality-numbers-showed-that-cats-killed-between-1-3-and-4/) [Peter P. Marra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-p-marra/) > [“The truth is that trap-neuter-return makes people—not cats and certainly not wildlife—feel better.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-p-marra/the-truth-is-that-trap-neuter-return-makes-people-not-cats-and/) [Peter P. Marra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-p-marra/) > [“The man of science has learned to believe in justification, not by faith but by verification. —Thomas Huxley”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-p-marra/the-man-of-science-has-learned-to-believe-in-justification-not-by-2/) [Peter P. Marra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-p-marra/) > [“As with some examples we have shown earlier, these very vocal advocates seem to overlook the “genocide” of native animals perpetrated by introduced predators…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-p-marra/as-with-some-examples-we-have-shown-earlier-these-very-vocal/) [Peter P. Marra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-p-marra/) > [“If current trends are not reversed, it is expected that at least one of New Zealand’s five kiwi species will go extinct within the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-p-marra/if-current-trends-are-not-reversed-it-is-expected-that-at-least-one/) [Peter P. Marra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-p-marra/) > [“The cat, an introduced animal, is not needed here outside of buildings. It has disturbed the biological balance and has become a destructive force…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-p-marra/the-cat-an-introduced-animal-is-not-needed-here-outside-of-buildings/) [Peter P. Marra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-p-marra/) > [“6.3 to 22.3 billion (median 12.3 billion) mammals were killed every year by outdoor cats.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-p-marra/6-3-to-22-3-billion-median-12-3-billion-mammals-were-killed-every/) [Peter P. Marra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-p-marra/) > [“We stopped looking for monsters under our bed when we realized that they were inside us. —Charles Darwin”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-p-marra/we-stopped-looking-for-monsters-under-our-bed-when-we-realized-that-2/) [Peter P. Marra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-p-marra/) [Explore all 16 Peter P. Marra quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-p-marra/) ## More Pest control quotes > [Cyber Leader: Daleks, be warned. You have declared war upon the Cybermen. Dalek Sec: This is not war - this is pest control! Cyber…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-t-davies/cyber-leader-daleks-be-warned-you-have-declared-war-upon-the-cybermen/) [Russell T Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-t-davies/) > [Oh, how I vainly wished to the bearded man in the sky that I was Neapolitan. Why? So I could bring in a fine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/oh-how-i-vainly-wished-to-the-bearded-man-in-the-sky-that-i-was/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [“In fact, wheat has been modified by humans to such a degree that modern strains are unable to survive in the wild without human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-davis/in-fact-wheat-has-been-modified-by-humans-to-such-a-degree-that/) [William Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-davis/) > [“For one group of wasps, the braconids, transferred genes have enabled a bizarre form of pest control. The females of these wasps lay their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-yong/for-one-group-of-wasps-the-braconids-transferred-genes-have-enabled-a/) [Ed Yong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-yong/) > [“Shelly looked around the jamb again as though whatever animal that had been terrorizing her had a weapon. “That doesn’t look like typical rat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-alexander/shelly-looked-around-the-jamb-again-as-though-whatever-animal-that/) [Robin Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-alexander/) > [Every farmer must go to the seed industry every year to buy their seed and pay an 80 percent royalty to a corporation. Over-the-fence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vandana-shiva/every-farmer-must-go-to-the-seed-industry-every-year-to-buy-their/) [Vandana Shiva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vandana-shiva/) > [What we should be very concerned about is the excesses and the abuses. Where we see hunts where the fox is torn away out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huw-irranca-davies/what-we-should-be-very-concerned-about-is-the-excesses-and-the-abuses/) Huw Irranca-Davies > [“Ecosystem services are things like crop pollination, carbon sequestration, climate regulation, water purification, air purification, nutrient dispersal, nutrient recycling, waste processing, flood control, pest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-h-diamandis/ecosystem-services-are-things-like-crop-pollination-carbon/) [Peter H. Diamandis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-h-diamandis/) > [I have had almost every job under the sun, it feels like. One of the first jobs I took was as a door-to-door pest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shay-carl/i-have-had-almost-every-job-under-the-sun-it-feels-like-one-of-the/) [Shay Carl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shay-carl/) > [“Wait—no, not drifting. Following us. “We have an audience,” I said to Reth, nodding at the clusters of flying insects. “I suppose we can’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiersten-white/wait-no-not-drifting-following-us-we-have-an-audience-i-said-to-reth/) [Kiersten White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiersten-white/) > [“It helps if you don’t think of them as human. More than one officer has called this job pest control.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-amsden/it-helps-if-you-don-t-think-of-them-as-human-more-than-one-officer/) [Christine Amsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-amsden/) [Browse all 12 Pest control quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pest-control/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Maybe the only explanation for people who have to ask why the Florida grasshopper sparrow matters is this: It matters not because it is a source of enrichment for human lives (although it is), not because it is a source of medicine or agent of pest control (it is probably neither), not because it is an “indicator species” that tells us we haven’t completely wrecked our habitat, not because it is anything, only because it is.3”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Peter P. 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