Burn This Newsletter

Welcome to the Arizona Burners Newsletter. This is a monthly (kind of) condensed list of events, stories, ideas and more. We hope that the regular but not overwhelming nature of this news letter will keep everyone informed about what is going on in the local Burning Man community. This newsletter will be posted to the announce list. It may be posted to the AZBurners discussion list, tribes and other places.

This newsletter is organized as such: header, stories, events, ideas, and keeping in contact

This newsletter needs you! It needs your stories, events and of course for it to be read...

So is is being read? Is it useful? What would you do differently? Am I getting everything in it that should be? Can you handle my poor spelling and grammar? Is it obvious I do most of this after midnight?

Look! Our wonderful community makes the Black Top Gazette!
http://azburners.org/gazette/2005/2005_preplaya.pdf

Burning Man tickets went on sale 1/5
http://tickets.burningman.com/ Do you have yours yet? No? You better get to it!

Toast! Tickets on sale now! This is just around the corner get them now.
http://www.toast-town.org/

Are you on the Jack Rabbit Speaks? What's that? A newsletter like this, but for ALL of Burning Man. Lots of fascinating stuff.
To Subscribe send a note to: bman-announce-subscribe(at)burningman(dot)com

Help update our Arizona Burner website!
AZBurner Bio Submissions: http://azburners.org/bios.htm
AZBurner History for years 2000 & Prior: http://azburners.org
AZBurner Stories - How you found BM, AZBuners or Travel Stories: http://azburners.org

AZBurner Classifieds: http://azburners.org/classified.htm

Send all submissions to: scotto(at)burningman(dot)com (and thank scotto next time you see him for the wonderful community page!)

Volunteer opportunity!
A project is under consideration at the Star School for us to help lay brick for the Amphitheater at the School. This is similar to the one at Gateway Ranch. The materials for this project were purchased through a Grant from Black Rock Arts last year. If you are interested in helping out, please speak up on the main list http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Azburners/

In other news, did you catch this article?
http://spots.azcompuguy.com

This months article: (see more newsletter stuff below)

The Leave No Trace Principles of outdoor ethics form the framework of Leave No Trace's message:

The LNT Idea is NOT just a Burning Man ethos, it is a worldwide consciousness that needs be followed, all the time and everywhere you go.

Plan Ahead and Prepare
Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces
Dispose of Waste Properly
Leave What You Find
Minimize Campfire Impacts
Respect Wildlife
Be Considerate of Other Visitors

Plan Ahead and Prepare:
Know the regulations and special concerns for the area you'll visit. Prepare for extreme weather, hazards, and emergencies. Schedule your trip to avoid times of high use. Visit in small groups. Split larger parties into groups of 4-6. Repackage food to minimize waste. Use a map and compass to eliminate the use of marking paint, rock cairns or flagging.

Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces:
Durable surfaces include established trails and campsites, rock, gravel, dry grasses or snow. Protect riparian areas by camping at least 200 feet from lakes and streams. Good campsites are found, not made. Altering a site is not necessary. In popular areas: Concentrate use on existing trails and campsites. Walk single file in the middle of the trail, even when wet or muddy. Keep campsites small. Focus activity in areas where vegetation is absent. In pristine areas: Disperse use to prevent the creation of campsites and trails. Avoid places where impacts are just beginning.

Dispose of Waste Properly:
Pack it in, pack it out. Inspect your campsite and rest areas for trash or spilled foods. Pack out all trash, leftover food, and litter. Deposit solid human waste in catholes dug 6 to 8 inches deep at least 200 feet from water, camp, and trails. Cover and disguise the cathole when finished. Pack out toilet paper and hygiene products. To wash yourself or your dishes, carry water 200 feet away from streams or lakes and use small amounts of biodegradable soap. Scatter strained dishwater.

Leave What You Find:
Preserve the past: examine, but do not touch, cultural or historic structures and artifacts. Leave rocks, plants and other natural objects as you find them. Avoid introducing or transporting non-native species. Do not build structures, furniture, or dig trenches. Minimize Campfire Impacts Campfires can cause lasting impacts to the backcountry. Use a lightweight stove for cooking and enjoy a candle lantern for light. Where fires are permitted, use established fire rings, fire pans, or mound fires. Keep fires small. Only use sticks from the ground that can be broken by hand. Burn all wood and coals to ash, put out campfires completely, then scatter cool ashes.

Respect Wildlife:
Observe wildlife from a distance. Do not follow or approach them. Never feed animals. Feeding wildlife damages their health, alters natural behaviors, and exposes them to predators and other dangers. Protect wildlife and your food by storing rations and trash securely. Control pets at all times, or leave them at home. Avoid wildlife during sensitive times: mating, nesting, raising young, or winter.

Be Considerate of Other Visitors:
Respect other visitors and protect the quality of their experience. Be courteous. Yield to other users on the trail. Step to the downhill side of the trail when encountering pack stock. Take breaks and camp away from trails and other visitors. Let nature's sounds prevail. Avoid loud voices and noises

Events for the next few months as we know them. Some are official events, others just things the community is doing in groups.

)'( Unknown date Arizona dinner
The date is less firm with this monthly dinner. Check with the AZBurners on topic list for details.
April host: Unknown.
Location: Unknown. Please keep an eye on the AZBurners on topic list for details. (or better yet, speak up and be the host) Editors note: Is this still going on? Can someone take point and get me info before the 25th of each month so it makes it in to this? I know you Arizonaians like it informal, but the word needs to get out to people. Thanks.

)'( 4/12 Phoenix Area Dinner. Once a month, on the 12th, we meet at a restaurant for dinner. The location is chosen by that month's organizer.
April Organizer: Nils
Where: Persian Garden Cafe
Southeast corner of 15th Ave and Thomas.
Cuisine: Generally Mediterranean, but not exclusively so. Many vegan and vegetarian dishes. Meals in the $15-$20 range and WELL worth it. Dinner will be at 6:30 (like normal) Please pay your bar tab directly.

May Organizer: Needed. Speak up on the AZBurner discussion list. And soon, so I can get it in the May newsletter. This is a very easy type of thing to organize, get to it! :)
azburners(at)yahoogroups(dot)com

)'( 4/22-4/24 Xara Dulzura (out of state) Imagine and pre-enact Xara, a pastoral paradise civilization 400 years in the future. http://www.xaraproject.org/

)'( 4/28-5/1 TOAST The Arizona Regional Burn
Details, ticket info, etc. on the web site. http://www.toast-town.org/

)'( 5/6 First Fridays. Downtown Phoenix has a monthly art walk. http://www.artlinkphoenix.com/ While not a Burning Man event, many Burners participate as artists. Burners are everywhere. Holgas is a live-in artists studio...Several Burners live at Holgas on 3rd St & Garfield. Others Live at the lodge, 1231 Grand Ave. and yet more at Thought Crime around central and Roosevelt. The Wizards of Az have been performing fire spinning shows @ ~8:30 & 10:00p

)'( 5/6-5/9 (or longer) Nature outing Location: property at 4000ft in Rincons, very isolated and private Event: open house/hike/campfire BBQ for the weekend The invitation to Sierra club members, Family Synergy members, Arizona burners and this group. Because of its remoteness a radical self sufficiency is practiced. Leave no trace in spite of much trace being left from previous activities. (ie pack it in, pack it out). Reservations are a must. This event may not be nude friendly, ask organizer Please see the main AZBurners list for contact information and full invite.

)'( 5/13-5/15 InterFuse (out of state)
Midwest regional burn http://www.midwestburners.com/InterFuse/ Posted by request, kind of, but if you are in the area.....

)'( 5/21 Annual 100 Daze event The location is probably at Richard Wizardry's property in the Camp Verde area. This event BADLY needs some organization. I absolutely can't do it, can you? Someone to take charge, make plans and bring it all together. You will have help, lots, but it will help a lot for one person to be the organizer. Good opportunity, high pay (physic income you know), good ground floor opportunity for self motivated individual.

)'( 6/3-5 2nd Annual Scorched Feet This is a relaxed campout being held on the Nevada side of Lake Mohave Telephone Cove (outside of Bullhead City, AZ/ Laughlin, NV) from Friday June 3rd- Sunday June 5th. This is a Burner friendly event, but it is being held on National Park Service land and we will have neighbors.

)'( 6/24-6/26 Apogaea (out of state)
Colorado regional burn http://www.apogaea.com/

Some future ideas

How do we organize more artistic events? Parties are easy to do, people always show up. But how to take some of the other bits of our community and make the prosper? How do we get more participation going on? Ideas? Bring it up on: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Azburners/

Keep in contact, build community!

Theme Camps:
http://www.radio-electra.com
http://polyparadise.azcompuguy.com

If you wish to submit content for this newsletter, no latter than the 25th of the month. There is a review and editing process. Not all submissions can be accepted.

We have 3 e-mail lists. This one, which is the news letter and other announcements.
To subscribe send a blank email to
arizona-announce-subscribe(at)burningman(dot)com

To unsubscribe send a blank email to
arizona-announce-unsubscribe(at)burningman(dot)com

The AZBurners "on topic" to Burning Man discussion list
To join send a blank e-mail to azburners-subscribe(at)yahoogroups(dot)com

And finally, our "off topic" list.
To join send a blank e-mail to azofftop-subscribe(at)yahoogroups(dot)com

This news letter brought to you by:
Naked Mike
Rockstar (Gary), Arizona Regional
Grammar and spelling help: Kat.
Community at large: Scotto (eyes, The Leave No Trace Principles and web page and more)
All of you!