Merrick resident Cynthia Seibold is helping lead a new environmental campaign aimed at making community cleanups widely accessible while encouraging residents to take a more active role in keeping local neighborhoods, parks and waterways clean.
The initiative, “Keep Long Island Beautiful,” was launched on July 1 during the Long Island Children's Museum's America's 250th Birthday Ball Drop celebration. Organized by a coalition that includes Balloon Mission, Reworld, Save the Great South Bay and the Long Island South Shore Waterkeeper, the campaign supports Keep America Beautiful's Great American Cleanup while commemorating the nation's 250th anniversary.
Seibold is founder of Balloon Mission, a nonprofit that protects wildlife and oceans by advocating for responsible balloon practices and recycling.
She created the organization in 2023 after repeatedly finding discarded balloons littering beaches, parks and nature preserves on Long Island. Since then, it has grown into the nation's first nonprofit dedicated to balloon collection and recycling, partnering with more than 70 organizations and expanding its programs to eight states.
Balloon Mission also maintains collection bins at Bellmore-Merrick libraries and area schools, giving residents a way to recycle deflated balloons instead of sending them to landfills or waterways.
"There's so much good work happening on Long Island, and this campaign brings it all together," Seibold said in a news release. "By giving people simple tools and opportunities to participate, whether through organized cleanups and restoration projects, or DIY in their own neighborhoods, we're empowering each person to appreciate and preserve our Long Island."
A key component of the initiative is a new library lending program developed in partnership with the Suffolk Cooperative Library System. Beginning July 1, Suffolk County residents can borrow one of 30 free cleanup kits available through the county's 56 public libraries. Each kit includes a litter grabber, safety vest, gloves, trash bags, cleanup instructions and a tracking card, allowing residents to conduct neighborhood cleanups on their own schedule without registering for an organized event.
"We wanted to make environmental stewardship feel genuinely accessible and something any resident, family, or student could do on a Tuesday afternoon without needing to sign up for anything," Maureen Early, Reworld’s lead community relations specialist, said in the release. "The library kit pilot program is about removing every barrier between a Long Islander and the simple act of making their community cleaner."
Balloon Mission also hosted family activities during the launch event, including a "Little Litter Picker Race," in which children competed to collect mock litter in 30 seconds. The event was held at the Long Island Children's Museum alongside its permanent Saltwater Stories exhibit, which highlights Long Island's coastal environment.
"One of our greatest joys is seeing young people discover their connection to Long Island, caring for it, and being part of its future," Erika Floreska, the museum’s president, said.
Organizers said the initiative brings together a network of environmental organizations and municipal partners already working to improve Long Island's natural resources, including Save the Great South Bay, Operation SPLASH, the Atlantic Marine Conservation Society, Keep Islip Clean and the Town of Babylon's Litter Crew program.
"Every piece of litter we remove from our streets, parks and creeks is one less piece making its way into our waters," Robyn Silvestri, executive director of Save the Great South Bay, said. "When people understand that connection, they become part of the solution."
In addition to borrowing cleanup kits, residents can participate in organized cleanup, restoration and beautification projects throughout Long Island. Environmental organizations and municipalities are also encouraged to add volunteer events to the initiative's online calendar, where participants can report cleanup data to help measure the campaign's impact during the nation's semiquincentennial celebration.
