Desert Balloon Project

Shiny Balloons

Ever looked up to see a shiny balloon floating off into the sky? Ever been with family and friends and released balloons in remembrance of someone? I’m sure we can all say yes to one of those, but have you ever asked yourself where those balloons end up? Well, odds are, if you let a mylar balloon go in the Las Vegas area, that it will end up in the desert somewhere. The problem with that, is that if wildlife finds it, they mistake the balloons for food and try to eat it, but those balloons could kill them.

Christian Daniels found out about the threat to big horn sheep and desert tortoises and decided to try to help by collecting downed balloons. In 2020 at age 15, he decided to start the Desert Balloon Project, where he could educate other outdoor enthusiasts and recruit them to help. “During the pandemic, we were restricted on where we could go. The outdoors were open and that’s where I spent all my time.” Christian said.

Do Your Part

Desert Balloon Project has done projects with SNAP (Southern Nevada Agency Partnership), a division of the Great Basin Institute. Christian would like to see other outdoor enthusiasts that enjoy the public lands of the desert to join in and help by picking up any and all mylar balloons that they may see along hiking paths, mountain bike trails, off-road trails, etc. “They can send me photos to help inspire others!” he said.

On a recent Jeep excursion, a couple of members of Desert Wranglers stopped and picked up three mylar balloons along Alamo Road in the Desert National Wildlife Refuge. They are pretty easy to spot, being that they are shiny and reflect light. Did you know that they can even conduct electricity, causing power outages? They can also spark a wildfire! Every balloon picked up is one less potential accident waiting to happen.

“I would just ask that when the club is out having fun in their Jeeps, that they pick up any balloons they see.”

A New Jeep Owner

Christian now owns his very own Jeep Wrangler. He had always wanted one and saved up until he was able to buy his very own. He loves to go to remote tortoise and sheep habitats, and the roads would be tough on any other vehicle. He would love to have others join him, because he would also love to learn more about off-roading and modifications he could make to help his Jeep be more capable. “I would just ask that when the club is out having fun in their Jeeps, that they pick up any balloons they see.” It only takes a few minutes to make a huge difference. Let’s do it, Desert Wranglers!