We Are Saving This Species

Helping Earth can feel overwhelming. But one of the most effective ways to make an impact is to hold a fund-raiser and donate the money to your favorite cause. That’s exactly what Josiah Utsch and his friend Ridgely Kelly did in 2012. When they were 11 years old, the duo started raising money for a critter called the chambered nautilus. This mollusk is a relative of octopuses but lives in a shell.

Although he grew up in the landlocked state of Montana, Utsch has always loved nautiluses. When his grandmother shared a newspaper article about how the chambered nautilus was threatened with extinction, Utsch got to work. He and Kelly created a nonprofit organization called Save the Nautilus.

Trying to help Earth can feel overwhelming. But there’s one simple and effective way to make a difference. You can raise money and donate it to a cause you care about. That’s what Josiah Utsch and his friend Ridgely Kelly did in 2012. When they were 11 years old, the pair started raising money for an animal called the chambered nautilus. Nautiluses live in shells and are relatives of octopuses.

Utsch grew up far from the ocean in Montana. But he has always loved nautiluses. When he was a kid, he found out they were threatened with extinction because of overfishing. So he got to work. He and Kelly created a nonprofit organization called Save the Nautilus.

The group’s goal is to increase public awareness of nautiluses and fund research to keep it from becoming extinct. They made a website, spoke on National Public Radio, talked with journalists about the overfished species, and more. Over the past 12 years, they’ve raised almost $40,000. Many of the donations they receive are less than $10. But every penny counts.

The money they raise is used to support the research of two scientists studying nautiluses. In 2018, they helped fund a research trip to Fiji that Utsch was able to join! “Not only are we the only people to research the nautilus in some of these locations, but in many cases we’re the first people to ever survey the health of these deep-sea reefs at all,” he says.

Since forming the nonprofit, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has listed the chambered nautilus as a threatened species, bringing even more attention to it. Utsch plans to continue his efforts to educate people about nautiluses and hopes to work with marine animals in the future. “Not enough people understand the dangers the nautilus faces, especially with new threats like climate change,” he says. “We just can’t lose a 500-million-year-old animal.”

The group has two main goals. One is to teach people about nautiluses. The other is to fund research to protect the animals. To start off, Utsch and Kelly made a website. They spoke on the radio and talked with journalists about threats to the nautilus. Over the past 12 years, they’ve raised almost $40,000. Many donations are less than $10. But every penny counts.

The money supports two scientists who are studying nautiluses. In 2018, Save the Nautilus helped fund a research trip to Fiji. Utsch even got to travel there to help! “We’re the only people to research the nautilus in some of these locations,” he says.

That same year, the U.S. government declared the chambered nautilus a threatened species. That brought even more attention to it. Utsch, now 23, plans to keep educating people about nautiluses and other ocean animals. “Not enough people understand the dangers the nautilus faces, especially with new threats like climate change,” he says. “We just can’t lose a 500-million-year-old animal.”