How does a 50,000 person event Leave No Trace?

It is undeniable that large groups have unique challenges when it comes to minimizing their impacts. Now scale that up to 50,000 people, and imagine the possibilities. Now read about the annual Burning Man event that is largely figuring it out: http://bit.ly/bBSwnw

Why Leave No Trace Belongs at Burning Man

This past weekend my colleague Sara (Membership and Development Manager) and I attended Burning Man in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada. A huge collection of art installations, live music and people (over 41,000!) descend on the playa for a week desert survival.

In addition to its commitment to creativity, the Burning Man (what is Burning Man? Go here) community is vehemently supportive of Leave No Trace ethics - on and off the playa.

"Burning Man community is committed to creating a Black Rock City that makes the smallest environmental impact possible. Additionally, we are committed to take what we have learned Leaving No Trace on the playa and to extend that principle into the real world in our daily lives."

It's refreshing to be in a community that so widely accepts, promotes and lives the ethics of Leave No Trace. It's the norm for folks to pick up a stray piece of trash (called MOOP - matter out of place - on the playa). With a small army of dedicated volunteers and employees of Earth Guardians, Burning Man can continue to host huge crowds of desert enthusiasts.

How do you make a city disappear?

It's that time of year again when we are reminded of what Leave No Trace can look like on a larger-than-life scale... the creation, and then ultimate disappearance, of Black Rock City. In the desert of Nevada for just over a week, close to 50,000 people will build their home in this city for the annual art festival, Burning Man, and then collectively see to it that the city vanishes until next year.

Having one year of attendance under my belt, I'm looking forward to being a bit more of an expert this year - not just with costumes, but with my Leave No Trace systems while living in the desert. As I plan ahead and prepare, I've been amazed at the depth of knowledge being disseminated from the Burning Man officials to the entire community, to raise awareness of how to Leave No Trace.

Even if you're not attending this festival, I would highly suggest taking a few moments to check out some of the great things that Burning Man is doing to Leave No Trace at their festival. A few minutes on the Earth Guardian site will do nothing short of inspire you to Leave No Trace the next time you go to any festival or event. Be sure to check out the "Sample LNT Plan" and "LNT Model Camp Tour" under the "Burning LNT" tab, as well as the Leave No Trace practices for water, fire, air, earth and ether.

Pictures to come in just a couple of weeks... Stay tuned!

Photo of the Week: 5/15/09

Leaving No Trace at Burning Man 

Center Staff leave their campsite after 4 days of sun, dust, music and art at the world’s largest Leave No Trace event in Black Rock City, Nevada.