Scarlett’s Superstars: Topher Jones
By Anne CisselKids like you can make a difference for wildlife and the environment. Meet some inspiring young heroes who have turned their love of animals into action!
Topher Jones, Lonesome Larry Project
Topher Jones, 13, first learned about endangered salmon at his school in Boise, Idaho. Salmon hatch in rivers, and then they spend time in the ocean until it’s time to return and lay eggs. But Topher learned that, years earlier, sockeye salmon were so endangered that, at one lake in Idaho, only a single salmon had returned.
People named this lone salmon “Lonesome Larry.” Topher was inspired by Larry’s story. He came up with the idea of “socks to save the sockeye!” Then he worked with an artist on a sockeye salmon design. Now he sells sockeye socks and other items at Idaho Steelheads ice hockey games and local coffee shops, as well as on his website, lonesomelarryproject.com. So far, Topher has raised more than $15,000 to protect the salmon! His ultimate goal is to raise $100,000.
“I’ve learned that the world has so many problems, but we can come up with solutions,” Topher says. “Everyone can help make a difference.”
Meet more kid superstars!
Do you have a story to share about helping wildlife and the environment? Email us at buzz@nwf.org. We love hearing everyone’s stories, but we are able to feature only a few of them. All submissions become the property of the National Wildlife Federation.