The oil spilling into the Gulf of Mexico has been bugging me. It's entirely a human-made problem, unlike an earthquake or a tsunami. I feel like we humans have an extra responsibility to fix the damage. I also wasn't really sure what we could do.

I came across a story about an organization called Matter of Trust. They have come up with a really amazing program to help clean up the thousands of oil spills that occur each year. They gather hair and fur to create mats that can be used by volunteers to soak up oil. Best of all, a local hair salon is involved.

Why do we wash our hair? Because it collects oil really well. We also get it cut on a regular basis. Thousands of pounds of natural fiber that typically goes in the trash.

Matter of Trust realized that if they collected hair and fur from salons and groomers, they could create mats and "booms" (used nylons stuffed with hair). The program could also create some jobs.

What Can We Do In Brattleboro?

I was sold. I read through their full information on the program and realized that a hair salon had to be involved to provide the program with enough hair in bulk to make it cost-effective. Individuals can't just mail an envelope of hair to them. I decided to ask around to see if any salons were interested.

I didn't have to look far. I got in touch with the at Flatter Me Hair Salon at 80 Flat Street in Brattleboro. They were already on the job.

Co-owner Heather Solari says that the salon heard about the program a couple of months ago and began collecting hair right away. They've filled one bag and are well on the way to fill a second. "It's a lot better than just throwing it away," she said.

We talked about hair and oil spills, helping wildlife and getting involved.

We decided to partner up. iBrattleboro would help promote this. Flatter Me would collect hair.

How To Participate

Next time you need you hair cut, consider donating it to help clean up oil spills.

You can call Hillary McKay at Flatter Me for an appointment (254-2666). Walk-ins are also welcome.

Flatter Me Hair Salon is a full-service salon. Heather, Kristen Clark, Angie Mathieu, Shiloh Lamorder, Ashley Crandall, Stacy Miner, Krissy Mayotte, Schavon Nadeau, and Jessie Cheslawski, or any of the hair professionals can handle whatever requests you have. They've never flinched, for example, when I've walked in with my long head of hair.

The program will continue as long as there is a need. If you'd like to donate to help cover costs of shipping the hair, your offer won't be refused, but it isn't required. Your hair is valuable on its own.

Heather wanted to remind everyone that if they have longer hair, Flatter Me continues to collect hair for the Locks of Love program. Just let them know what you'd like to do when you get there.

Look for the ad we'll put up soon. I'm going to get my hair cut in the next week or so to give it a try. I encourage you to do the same. Bring some friends or your family and make an event of it, and help a pelican and other wildlife in the process.