Maria Nila Support Sea Turtles in Annual Friendly Year Initiative for 2023

Maria Nila’s core values have a large focus on helping animals, which includes their 100 per cent vegan and animal friendly products, CO₂ compensated packaging and their annual philanthropic initiative titled The Friendly Year. The concept begins every year on November 1, World Vegan Day, with an annual agenda of campaigns and activities to raise donations to a specific wildlife cause and show true care to the planet. In 2023, this initiative supported sea turtles.

The project is run together with the brand’s partner and trusted wildlife charity organisation, The Perfect World Foundation, and relies on the support of the brand’s community of customers and salons to support these key animal and natured-led charities. The initiative consists of a larger charity campaign during World Vegan Day as well as fundraisers throughout the year, that then result in a final donation, as well as spreading much needed awareness for these causes.

In 2023, Maria Nila supported the sea turtle species that has been roaming the oceans for 150 million years, but whose population is vastly decreasing. Several turtle species are in danger due to various and largely human-induced factors, and a rapidly changing ocean environment. Pollution, such as plastics in the waters, fishnets and oil emissions are all danger to this important species. It’s estimated that each year 640,000,000 kilograms of discarded fishing equipment endanger species in the ocean, killing marine line for up to 600 years and resulting in millions of killed marine animals and fish every single year. The nets also comprise more than 50 per cent of all harmful microplastic in the water. Together with The Perfect World Foundation, the brand donated profits to the Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre to combat these issues.

In a record-breaking year of the initiative, the brand has finished with breaking sales records that have resulted in a donation of 1.500.000 SEK to the cause, which is approximately $215,000 AUD. This will contribute to the building of a whole new centre on Green Island outside of Cairns, which will be named for the brand as Maria Nila’s Turtle Rehabilitation Centre. The centre will also include an educational centre and a conservation program to look at mitigating some of the common threats that are present in both the marine and terrestrial habitats.

The projects at this centre will include satellite tracking of released rehabilitated turtles and research on the ecological impact on endangered and vulnerable species. They will also boast community programs, in the development, training and support of volunteer and community-based land and sea management programs. The resources will additionally provide access to international film crews by partnering with CTRC, which has been involved with many conservation documentaries headlined by renowned media representatives. Lastly, the program will have dedicated marine debris clean-ups that document the rubbish that is collected to formulate a data base.

Building on this inimitable advocacy, Maria Nila has announced their 2024 initiative on November 1, 2023, and will go forward through the next year “supporting the pollinators who are crucial for maintaining a colourful and flourishing environment for us all to live in and an important part of biodiversity”, the brand shared.