What began as a routine beach cleanup turned into an environmental mission for three members of a Girl Scout troop on the North Fork.

After noticing pieces of released balloons scattered along local shorelines, the Southold Junior High School students partnered with Balloon Mission to install collection bins in Mattituck and Cutchogue for their Silver Award project.

The project is the work of Girl Scout Troop 1416 members Rosamond Bliss, Brooklynn Piraino and Cameron Ahearn, all 14, who are completing it for their Silver Award. Perry Bliss, the troop’s co-leader, also helped with the effort.

“This issue stood out to me because of my family,” Cameron told The Suffolk Times on Friday. “We go out on our boat a lot and almost every single trip we see a lot of balloons, usually at least five. My troop and I really wanted to help out with that problem and to help prevent balloon pollution. Making these collection boxes was really fun because I got to work with my troop on it.”

Cameron and her fellow Girl Scouts raised money through fundraising and babysitting, then used it to build the collection boxes themselves, according to Ms. Bliss.

“The girls wanted to be a part of change and do something bigger than themselves,” added Girl Scout Troop 1416 leader Patti Ahearn. 

The project connected the troop with Balloon Mission, which works with PSEG Long Island and has collection bins across Long Island and in other states. Its slogan encourages people to drop used balloons into bins at specific locations: “When the fun is done, pop and drop your balloon.”

For Balloon Mission founder and executive director Cynthia Seibold, working with the Girl Scouts was a no-brainer.

“When we first started, we knew that change was generational,” she said. “We know that kids find this to be a very fun and inspiring project. It’s a tangible link — if I collect a balloon, I’m saving a sea turtle. I’m saving a bird from balloon litter. A lot of kids can get behind that.” 

That message resonated with the girls, who worked with the organization to design and install the bins outside Party Animal North Fork in Mattituck and inside North Fork Cheer in Cutchogue. The bins have been in place since May 20.

They are made of Versatex, a waterproof material, and have clear plexiglass fronts.

“People can see inside the box and see immediately the balloons that are in there,” Ms. Seibold said. “The sign is also important in creating positive messaging.” 

The signs attached to the top of the bins were donated by Peconic Sign Company.

“First and foremost, anything we can do to help the community is always what we do here at Peconic Sign,” said owner Mike Sirico. “We try to align ourselves with any local organizations that are trying to make a difference. Second, my oldest son Luca is an Eagle Scout and I always like to return the favor because many people helped us along his scouting career.”

Mr. Sirico said the project also fit with his own environmental concerns.

“We’re members of the Surfrider Foundation and we participate in a bunch of beach cleanups, so the balloon issue is something we feel needs to be addressed,” Sirico added. “The mylar balloons are a major issues on the beaches and affect the sea life.”

Party Animal North Fork, which recently opened a new location on Love Lane in Mattituck, and North Fork Cheer were chosen because balloons are often used at both locations for parties and events. The bins give customers and visitors a convenient place to dispose of the materials instead of letting them end up on beaches or in waterways.

When the bins are full, Balloon Mission partners with ACDS and Mary Haven Center of Hope, programs for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, whose participants collect the materials from “pop and drop” locations.

“They bring them back to their day hab facilities where they sort them between foil and latex,” Ms. Seibold said. “They then give us the metrics for our program and Balloon Mission empties them to Reworld who repurposes them into energy, recycles them with TerraCycle or some of our balloons are reused as art medium for environmental artwork.”

The Girl Scouts’ project also points to a broader environmental concern on Long Island. In 2019, the Suffolk County Legislature unanimously approved a local law prohibiting the intentional release of helium and other types of balloons, according to previous reporting by the Riverhead News-Review.

The work will officially be submitted next week for the Silver Award. Afterward, the girls will shift their focus to individual Gold Award projects centered on sustainability.

“I’m extremely proud of them for all the work that they put into this,” Ms. Ahearn said. “I want them to know that they can do anything that they set their mind to.”

For Ms. Bliss, the project offered a glimpse of what young people can do when they take a local problem seriously.

“It’s always wonderful to work with this group of young women and they really pushed hard to get it done in a timely matter with a lot of enthusiasm towards it,” she said. “From an environmentalist myself, I am really looking forward and hopeful to the future generation and how they can clean up the world.”

Residents can find nearby collection bins by entering their ZIP code at balloonmission.org. Used balloons may also be mailed to Balloon Mission at P.O. Box 126, Merrick, NY 11566.

The post Southold students tackle balloon litter with new collection bins for Girl Scouts project appeared first on The Suffolk Times.

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