One local salon is trying to do its part in helping clean up the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico after an explosion and fire at an oil rig on April 20.

Kari-Ella Fjeldberg has owned Classic Reflections Salon & Spa at Northbridge Mall in Albert Lea for eight years. She heard about a way she could help with the oil spill on Wednesday morning and has been busy organizing the effort.

“On the national news they were talking about how salons were donating hair,” Fjeldberg said. “Oil naturally clings to the hair.”

An organization called Matter of Trust is collecting donations of hair, fur and wool clippings so they can be made into mats or booms to clean up oil spills.

“I signed up to be a certified donor,” Fjeldberg said.

Donors collect human hair or pet clippings and then send them wherever Matter of Trust tells them. Then the clippings are made into mats that can soak up oil or booms. Booms are recycled nylon stockings stuffed with the clippings. They are tied together and used to circle the oil spill to contain it so it doesn’t spread farther.

“They’re using the mats to line cages for animals to help pull the oil off them,” Fjeldberg said.

So far Matter of Trust has collected 450,000 pounds of hair for the oil spill in the Gulf. Fjeldberg said she likes that it’s a natural way to clean up the spill.

“We’re trying to find the silver lining,” Fjeldberg said.

She said clients are excited about helping just by getting their regular haircuts. They’ve had some people come in to get their haircut because they found out the clippings will go to the Gulf.

So far Classic Reflections Salon & Spa is the only certified donor in Albert Lea, but Fjeldberg wants to encourage other salons and pet groomers to sign up to help. Fjeldberg is happy to help donate hair clippings that are usually just thrown away.

“We’re going to continue to send hair until they have a surplus,” Fjeldberg said.

The other stylists at the salon are also excited about helping the cause. The assistant manager, Kristen Leonhardi, said her family members want to get their hair cut to help, too.

“I just think it’s a good thing,” Leonhardi said. “We might as well do something with it instead of wasting it.”

She said when she told clients where their hair was going they were excited about it. It’s an easy thing to do to help a big problem. Leonhardi would like other salons and pet groomers to join the cause as well.

“Hopefully others in the area will do it,” Leonhardi said.

Fjeldberg likes that the stylists can be part of the solution to the large oil spill. Fjeldberg said that even though Albert Lea is a small town “we can still make a difference in what’s happening in the world.”