I love balloons. There’s something inherently joyful about them – the bright colours, the association with parties and celebrations, and the way they can float in the air, light as a feather.
It has made balloon races a popular choice. People release hundreds of balloons, accompanied by a great roar from the crowd, and the owner of the one that gets the furthest wins a prize - or just the kudos of winning.
All good fun? Sadly, no. I’ve talked before on this blog how those balloons can be very bad news for wildlife – e.g. turtles can be suffocated or starved when mistaking the balloon for a tasty snack, and seabirds get strangled by the trailing ribbons.
So how come the RSPB are launching their first balloon race? Well, we are celebrating the one year anniversary of Middleton Lakes, a fabulous reserve nestled in the Tame valley. On Thursday 15th November we will release thousands of balloons, and the one that gets the furthest in one week will win a prize of £1,500! There are six more exciting prizes on offer too.
Disgusted?
Panic not, these are virtual balloons. They only exist in the ether of the world wide web, but the winds that determine their virtual fate are real. It’s a really clever system – you create your custom balloon, choosing the size, shape, and even the thickness of the rubber. The web fairies behind the scenes use real wind and weather information to predict where your balloon will end up. Will it burst and scatter in the sea, or will it out-drift its competitors to net you one of the seven fabulous prizes?
So this is a safe bet for wildlife – why not have a flutter and buy your ballon today at www.rspb.org.uk/balloonrace