I believe that the message the author is trying to convey in this excerpt is that humans need to take action to end further destruction of the natural environment, because if they don't, more and more species will disappear.
Yes, because his mother taught him to look at the world not only from his own perspective, but also from other one. This will lead him to not judge a book by its cover and keep an open mind to others’ situations in the future.
If i am reading this right i think it is "STILL" because the sentence doesnt make sence