Community Corner
Balloons On Beach Out of Control, Resident Rails
The balloons are lethal to wildlife, he said.
Scores of strollers head to Riverhead and the North Fork to stroll along the Sound and enjoy the serenity and bucolic vistas.
But sometimes, all they see is litter — and scores of deflated balloons that not only trash the landscape but pose lethal threats to wildlife.
Remsenburg resident Sean Keenan said he took a walk on Sunday, looking for cold stunned sea turtles.
His stroll began at Iron Pier beach in Jamesport, and headed east about three miles, almost to the Mattituck Inlet.
What he saw shocked him.
"While walking I had noticed many mylar and latex balloons littering the beach, and the majority had long streamers attached. Since I also found a perfectly good trash can on the beach, I decided to collect as many balloons as I could find. To my astonishment, I found 202 mylar balloons, a few dozen latex balloons and hundreds of feet of ribbon."
The balloons, he said, "are the most deadly trash for wildlife."
In addition, Keenan said, there were hundreds of water bottles and other plastic debris.
The Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and Preservation, Keenan said, often finds balloons in the stomachs of turtles.
Keenan said he collected so many balloons, he had to physically compress them to make room for more; one even had a still-working battery-powered LED light.
What do you think of all the balloons and trash on the beach? What can be done to help preserve the beaches and protect wildlife? Share your thoughts with Patch.
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