Each May, the alpacas that graze the hills of Springside Farm in the town of Pompey are sheared of fleece that is spun into baby blankets, mittens and hats.
Breeder Paulie Drexler has gathered 50 pounds of fiber remnants she didn’t use last year to send to volunteers who have been working to protect the Gulf Coast and its waters since the April 20 spill.
The clippings will be stuffed into nylon stockings and tied together to make booms that help surround, contain and soak up the oil that is leaking into the ocean.
Alpaca fleece has long been revered as warmer and lighter than wool, said Drexler, whose 55 alpacas can each produce up to 10 pounds of fiber a year. Prime fiber is spun into fine knits and woven garments; slightly less soft fibers are used for heavy blankets and jackets.
The remnants — known as thirds — are too short or hairy to be used in garments, but can be processed to make rugs and for industrial uses such as oil spill remediation.
The Alpaca Fiber Cooperative of North America has already sent 10,000 pounds of the material for the effort. Drexler hopes to send more after shearing her herd at the end of the month.
She sees her alpacas as a renewable resource. “These animals eat something we can’t and turn it into something we can use,” she said. “That is about as green as you can get. There’s a use for everything.”
The fiber recycling program also is being supported by hair salons across the country that can collect up to one pound each of human hair a day.
Contact Alaina Potrikus at email@example.com or 470-3252.