Educational Activities and Materials
Clean Virginia Waterways has educational information regarding balloon litter and other types of litter and marine debris. They coordinate the Virginia Waterways Cleanup, part of the Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup.
The Virginia Coastal Zone Management (CZM) Program and its partners oversee many marine debris related programs and projects including the Mid-Atlantic Marine Debris Summit, the Virginia Marine Debris Reduction Plan and a Virginia Marine Debris Monitoring Project.
The NOAA Marine Debris Program website offers many educational tools for public, teachers, communities, etc. including marine debris monitoring protocols, educational videos, the Marine Debris Tracker app, scientific reports, funding opportunities and more.
Balloons Blow provides information and resources to educate people about the destructive effects released balloons have on animals, people, and the environment, and strives to inspire and promote an eco-conscious lifestyle.
The Ocean Conservancy has created science-based solutions for a healthy ocean and the wildlife and communities that depend on it. Their website includes educational tools, fact sheets, International Coastal Cleanup volunteer sign-up, the Clean Swell app and much more.
The Marine Conservation Society is a UK-based organization with a mission to lead political, cultural and social change for healthy seas and coasts that support abundant marine wildlife, sustainable livelihoods and enjoyment for all through educational campaigns and volunteerism.
View the Marine Conservation Society's "Don't Let Go" campaign - https://www.mcsuk.org/campaigns/dont-let-go.
https://www.zoo.org.au/balloons/
This group of zoos in Australia encourage balloon-free celebrations by offering wildlife-friendly alternatives.
Natural Resources Council of Maine Balloon Litter Prevention Toolkit:
An educational resource for reducing balloon litter and creating legislation.
https://www.nrcm.org/programs/sustainability/sustainable-maine-community-toolkits/balloon-litter-prevention-toolkit/
https://blog.padi.com/2019/04/24/eco-friendly-alternatives-to-balloon-releases-and-sky-lanterns/
The Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) reminds people that balloons, sky lanterns and plastic confetti break into smaller and smaller pieces until they turn into microplastics, which are consumed by fish, birds, turtles and other wildlife.
https://balloondebris.weebly.com/
A graduate student at the University of Michigan's School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS) in Ann Arbor, Michigan started this on-line survey of balloon litter. If you find a littered balloon, please enter information about it in this easy-to-use survey. The data are then viewable on a heat map: