Last fall, Chris Carter, Cub Scout den leader for Wolf Den 6 in Bedford’s Pack 5, found an inflated balloon in his backyard.

“I saw something shiny and pink in a bush,” Carter said. “It didn’t belong there. I went over to investigate and found an inflated balloon with a tag on it.”

The balloon, however, was not just any ordinary balloon. It was released by the Bruce Collins Elementary School Girl Scouts, based in Sterling Heights, Mich. As part of their opening ceremony, the Girl Scouts released 50 balloons, each with an email address asking whoever found the balloons to contact them.

Who would have guessed that one balloon would have traveled more than 700 miles to a Cub Scout leader’s back yard in Bedford in just a day and a half?

“We worked with Channel 9’s weather team to track the wind patterns of the balloon from the suburbs of Detroit to Bedford.” Carter said. “The balloon traveled through Canada, New York and finally to Bedford.”

On Tuesday, June 12, the Cub Scouts of Wolf Den 6 met in the Bedford Public Library to Skype with the Girl Scouts of Sterling Heights.

“They have become our sister troop,” Carter said. “We hope to stay in touch with them in the future.”

Carter used the balloon’s journey as an opportunity to teach his den about weather patterns and air currents.

“It’s a great opportunity for the Scouts to learn about weather and wind patterns,” Carter said. “We were already in the process of earning the weather badge when this balloon showed up. Most latex balloons hold helium for eight to 10 hours, but this balloon made it to our troop in a day and a half. It worked out.”

Katelyn Dobbs can be reached at 594-6549 or kdobbs@nashuatelegraph.com.