Rolling Stones’ Ronnie Wood and Prince William Are Fighting for the Same Thing — and It’s All About Their Kids (Exclusive)

Rock icon Ronnie Wood is praising Prince William for his leadership in fighting for endangered species.

Wood, who paints when he’s not performing with The Rolling Stones, helped create stunning artwork to highlight the plight of sea turtles. He decorated a turtle, which is part of a fun trail of models spread around London.

The guitarist (who also performed alongside his old friend and Faces bandmate Rod Stewart at Glastonbury Festival in June) is one of a group of well-known faces who have designed and created stunning models of turtles, which are featured in a campaign from Prince William’s charity Tusk, which fights for threatened wildlife in Africa and around the world. Visitors, tourists and London residents are encouraged to spot them all and reflect on the story of the endangered animals.

The turtle models will then be sold to raise funds for Tusk, helping it continue its marine conservation work. Tusk is one of the Prince of Wales’ most enduring causes, something he adopted shortly after he started his public work when he left university in 2005.  

Speaking with PEOPLE as the Turtle Trail launches in London, Wood — who has joined William regularly at the annual Tusk Awards — says the royal is “hugely knowledgeable on the subject and committed to the cause, and I have a lot of respect for the way he uses his status and position for the greater good and to support wildlife.”

“He’s a strong advocate for Tusk and the wider conservation community, and we share a common belief that our children and future generations deserve to experience the wonders of the world’s wildlife like we have,” Wood says.

Tusk asserts that although marine turtles have swum the Earth’s seas for over 100 years, in recent decades, “their numbers have plummeted, and six of the seven species are now threatened with extinction.”

Wood calls his turtle “The Prodigal.” “Turtles are incredible, they hatch on a beach, hopefully make it into the sea, go ’round the world and come back to the exact spot where they were born, so the prodigal son returns!” he explains.

He says of the inspiration for his work, “It was an idea that I came up with built around the colors and light you see in the ocean. Colors often change under the sea — red colors, for example, tend to look blue because water absorbs red light more readily than other colors.”

He adds, “Through the piece, I wanted to encourage people to look at what their surroundings hold — especially wildlife, flora and fauna — and look after everything that goes on around us. Marine turtles are not just beautiful creatures; they’re vital to the health of our oceans, from coral reefs to seagrass beds. Protecting marine turtles means protecting our oceans. It’s a cause that matters deeply, and I’m proud to lend my artwork to support it.”

With the aim of raising funds, Wood adds, “Every little bit helps, and I really hope all the turtles raise some good funds at auction to raise funds to support Tusk’s marine conservation projects.” Bidding can be made on the pieces — including Wood’s — from the end of July until mid-October, when there will be a live auction event.

For Wood, it is an ongoing commitment, spawned following his visits “experiencing the beauty of the wildlife and communities.”

“Climate change is really frightening, and I want my daughters’ generation to be able to experience wildlife like I have. It’s frightening that we are facing the end of some wildlife species that we will never get back, so I try to do my bit,” he says.

He also donated artworks to Tusk’s Rhino, Lion and Gorilla Trails in previous years and “hope this one also has a positive impact on fundraising. The future of Tusk relies on raising money through projects like this, and I want to be a part of keeping their amazing projects and the messages they share with the world going. If we don’t look after the animals now, there’ll be nothing for our children to see in the future.”

Wood also likes what he sees from his co-creators on the trail. “I think the whole brigade of sculptures together is wonderful. Every single turtle on the trail has its own story to tell and has been approached in a unique way. It’s amazing to see so many well-known names and incredible artists unite for such a good cause.”