Dear North Bay Burners,
It’s go time. This is it, the final push. We have what, three weeks until the gate opens. According to the countdown on the project site that’s 1 bi-weekly meeting, or 6 weekend workdays left to go…the Man burns in 32 days!
We’ve got a couple more events to share, and then we hit the dust. We are holding a costume swap and camping gear free store at Frog Song next week. Come find some new fun things to wear and share what you don’t need anymore with someone who does.
Our annual North Bay Burner on playa meet and greet is on Wednesday night of Burn week. If you’re out there stop by and say hey, we’ll be at Camp “Oh No You Didn’t!” around dark-thirty. Connect with local Burners and entertain each others with stories of that one time at Burning Man.
Read your Survival Guide. If this is your first burn then the First Timer’s Guide is for you! Have a safe trip out, take good care of each other, and we will see you in the dust!
xoxo RLL
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Costume Swap and Gear Free Store
Let’s give all our old costumes to the newbies!!! Bring your costumes for a clothes swap and your gear for a free store. We’ll hang out in the Common Room and enjoy some adult beverages. Bring some to share! Get rid of any clothes, costumes, camping gear, and rebar you don’t want and get some new stuff you do want.
I’ve got a ton of stuff to donate and I know you do too! Bring it. Anything left over goes to Tarwater for their on playa boutique, or gets donated to a local charity. Gift it forward…see you there!
Our usual potluck style – bring stuff to munch on or some drinks to share. We are up front near the playstructure in the Common Room.
Friday, August 11th from 7pm to 10pm
Frog Song Common Room
8290 Old Redwood Hwy, Cotati, California
https://www.facebook.com/events/242728239579586/
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North Bay Burners on Playa Meet and Greet
This year our annual on playa meet and greet will be a trip to the confessional bar at Camp “Oh No You Didn’t!” Bring your wild stories and your dark secrets, or just come say hi. Mixers and contributions to the bar always welcome!
Wednesday, August 30th from 7pm to 10pm
9:15 and B, Black Rock City
https://www.facebook.com/events/778449028990428/
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Leave No Trace Outreach & Environmental Compliance
Burning Man is proud to be the largest practicing Leave No Trace event in the world and now we want you to join our post-event 150 person cleanup team as we fight the War on MOOP (Matter Out of Place) and help to leave the Black Rock Desert clean and beautiful! Apply to be in consideration to volunteer with the Playa Restoration All-Star MOOP Army for any amount of time within the entire month of September as we prepare for the Bureau of Land Management’s Site Inspection! If chosen, you will receive confirmation and additional details. Room and board are provided in Gerlach with daily transportation to and from the Event Site. Join us in making this year’s MOOP Map and Leave No Trace!
Sign-Up to join the Playa Restoration! Click on this link!
Would you like to learn more?
Quick and Easy How To Leave No Trace the Playa Restoration Way:
Slideshow designed by the Playa Restoration Manager DA specifically for YOU, your camp, or your art project to get Green on the Moop Map!
If you have any further questions please email restoration@burningman.org.
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Regional Events on Playa
The Regionals@BRC calendar highlights public Regional related events, including your own Region’s extravaganza, the Everywhere/ARTery opening night party, film screenings 4 nights a week, a daily morning cabaret for all you early birds, and various Artist Talks.
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What to do if you lose your Passport
Passport Perils- If you lose your passport on playa, stop by Lost & Found at Playa Info, located at Center Camp Plaza @ 6:30…. Operating hours are between 9am and 6pm (August 28-September 4). If the Playa Info team cannot locate your passport, they have lost passport guides for: Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Mexico and the Netherlands.
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From Charlie “Louder!” Dolman:
Remember “welcome wagons”? Back in the day, if you were new to a neighborhood, greeters would bring you a personalized gift basket, answer your questions and share info about your new community.
Here’s what I thought was really interesting: Welcome Wagon’s founder was inspired by the real Conestoga wagons that brought fresh food and water to frontier settlers. Can you imagine how appreciative these tired pioneer families must have been, not only to receive these kind offerings, but to be met by friendly faces after their grueling journey?
I think you can see where I’m going with this.
Folks, let’s make this idea our own. As esteemed Acculturation Ambassadors, let’s make time to greet our new playa neighbors when they arrive after their long journey. An unexpected gesture of goodwill goes a long way to make people feel connected and part of the greater community. There’s no need for a fancy basket, just offer a few warm and welcoming words when your new neighbors pull up to camp. If you’re feeling generous, give them a hand with setting up their camp or even a cold drink. Being neighborly is the right thing to do, especially in Black Rock City.
A little kindness really does go a long, long way. On playa, it’s always time to be a good neighbor, to welcome the stranger, and to practice inclusiveness. Look, we’re all in this together. Let’s take more time to look out for each other in this dusty jungle.
Plus, getting to know your neighbors –the people surrounding your camp– is just smart, amirite?
Ok, I feel like I’m preaching to the choir here.
LOUDER! CHARLIE’S TOP FIVE PRO TIPS for ACCULTURATION AMBASSADORS
5. Read the Survival Guide again and share its wisdom with newbies,
4. Embrace the #PlayaMade ethos,
3. Pack that Playa First Aid Kit of yours,
2. Be the Black Rock citizen you want to see on the playa,
AND…<drum roll please>
#1. Be kind to yourself, and others.
Let’s start with that being kind to you part.
Stay hydrated. Eat. Wear sunscreen and a hat. Get enough rest. Electrolytes! You know all that.
Lock your vehicle’s doors and keep the windows up. Put your keys in one safe place and don’t move them. Check.
Keep your emotional well-being in check. Oh right, yes.
What I’m really trying to say is this…
Put on your “oxygen mask” first, before helping others. You can’t take care of anyone else until you’ve covered your own ass.
NOW you can be that “welcome wagon.”
For seasoned Burners, I would also remind you to “be patient.” A little empathy also goes a long, long way. You have hard-earned wisdom that not everyone has acquired yet. Their lack of knowledge about our unique culture is an opportunity for you to model good behavior.
Actually, the late great Kurt Vonnegut said it better than I ever could:
“There’s only one rule that I know of, babies – God damn it, you’ve got to be kind.”
Wait, there’s one more thing…don’t be a douche canoe!
I know, I know. You aren’t a douche canoe. This message is for everyone else. 😉
Thank you for all your kind responses. I appreciate each and every one of them. You’re the best!
A reminder that I’ve archived all the emails I’ve sent to you. Here’s the first one, the second one, the third one, and the fourth one. Share, rinse, lather, repeat.
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Big Pine Paiute Tribe’s Permaculture Action Day on the Road to Burning Man
Join the Big Pine Paiute Tribe, Burners Without Borders, Permaculture Action Network, and the Indigenous Farming Project for a Permaculture Action Day on the Road to Burning Man at the Big Pine Paiute Tribal Garden. The garden is a publicly-accessible demonstration project that features permaculture design, perennial & annual plant cultivation, and plants native to the Eastern Sierras.
Everyone is welcome and this event is free to attend!
Join us anytime after 5:30pm on Friday, August 26th when the weekly farmers’ market opens to the community. You are welcome to camp overnight on the land with us! We will have food, a basic solar shower, and other hospitality provided. We will work on hands-on projects all… day Saturday, August 26th while we share meals and story, listen to live musical performances, and participate in workshops and skillshares.
This permaculture food sovereignty project of the Big Pine Paiute is located along Highway 395 in Big Pine, CA, at the Big Pine Paiute Tribal Headquarters. We have designed this day to fall on a perfect midpoint for folks traveling to Burning Man’s Black Rock City from the Southwest of the United States. Leave Friday evening and come camp with us, or leave Saturday morning to come take action with us for a few hours before continuing your drive up to Black Rock City (gates open at 12:01am on Sunday and it’s a 5 hour drive from Big Pine up to Black Rock City).
Who Are the Big Pine Paiute Tribe?
“Big Pine Paiute Tribe is federally recognized and resides on the Big Pine Indian Reservation in Big Pine, California.
Our ancestors lived in harmony with all organisms through a lifestyle based on traditional subsistence. Our ancestors gathered resources from the earth in a varying schedule which relied on seasons and locations. In the fall, the most important food item for our ancestors, pinenuts were gathered. Pinenuts were gathered in the mountains and sometimes if the crop was plentiful, they would stay in the groves throughout the winter. In spring, the valley floor would create an abundance of plant resources including seeds, berries and roots vital to the health of our people. All the resources our ancestors needed for a subsistence lifestyle relied on one variable which was unpredictable…water.”
What Action-Based Projects Are Happening?:
We will be building a large greenhouse for winter growing and digging rainwater catchment earthworks and swales to catch and store rainwater in the soil. Ever wanted to learn how to catch and store water in the soil to nourish your gardens? Want to build a large food-growing greenhouse? Join us on your way to the burn!
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