Follow Your Legend is an international company that sells stuffed animals representing endangered species in real life. Follow Your Legend sells several different species including: pandas, sloths, giraffes, elephants and turtles - their best selling stuffed animal.  Although the plush stuffies are their biggest seller, they also sell hats and jewelry. 

 

When you buy a plushie, you adopt an animal. Each plushie has a story attached to a real animal somewhere across the world. For example, if you purchased the turtle plushie you would get to choose between one of three turtles who all have different journeys you can follow. One of the options is a turtle named Hawwa. Hawwa is a female sea turtle who was found entangled in a commercial fishing net. When she was rescued, marine biologists discovered three of her fins were injured. Thankfully, she is now on her way to full recovery and ready to be released back into the wild. When you tap your phone to the tag on the plushie’s neck you get recent updates on your animal’s story. Purchasing a turtle plushie can help sea turtles all across the world. The turtle plushie is connected to Olive Ridley Project which is a group of people whose job is to protect the lives of sea turtles. These plushies are also made out of recycled materials which helps to save the environment even more. 

 

It is so important to support companies like Follow Your Legend because over the past decades the turtle population has decreased because of commercial fishing, habitat loss and pollution in the oceans. Another one of the biggest reasons why sea turtles are dying is because of the man-made street lights at night.  When female turtles are ready to give birth they pull themselves onto the beach and carefully lay their eggs in the sand. When the babies hatch, they usually follow the light of the moon to guide them into the water. Instead of following the moonlight the baby sea turtles get distracted by the light made from humans. It confuses the babies on which way the ocean really is. Sadly, most of the babies do not make it to the ocean. Sea turtles are one of the oldest species on Earth and can be seen dating back 110 millions years. Yet, it is terrifying to think that the future of such a beautiful creature is unsure. Humans have enough power to change the future of sea turtles for better or for worse.  Not only are the sea turtles  on the edge of extinction, elephants and pandas are also slowly dying away because of poachers and habitat destruction. When people hear these statistics they often shy away from the truth. They choose to ignore what is happening and say to themselves, “I can not do anything to stop such a big problem.” Companies like Follow Your Legend have made it possible for anyone to help endangered animals and while also helping the planet.

In conclusion, Follow Your Legend has started their program because they want people to feel a connection with the world and the animals in it. Around 15% of their income from the stuffed animals goes back to the animals and the charity programs that are trying to keep these animals safe. Follow Your Legend supports many NGOs like the Woodwell Climate Research Centre, Mote Marine Laboratory, Adelaide Koala Rescue and the Giraffe Conservation Foundation. Even if only 50 turtles are saved by this organization, it means that there is a chance for more turtles to be born and the population to continue. Their mission is to protect the world and its wildlife as a community and everyone can help by purchasing a stuffie.