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Lumerian Tribe LNT (Leave No Trace) GUIDELINES:

Project leaders should submit an LNT plan to the LNT coordinator which describes how their project follows all four of the following sections.

1) Pre-event planning:

 a) Design projects and costumes so they mimimize the use of materials that might turn into microtrash.  

- Avoid small loose elements like confetti, feathers, 
- Avoid materials that shed or break into pieces, like astroturf and glass.
- Plan your construction so you avoid making waste on the playa, like cutouts from cardboard, glue drips, leftover wood, sawdust, loose staples or bent nails. 
- Where these materials are unavoidable, take steps to minimize impact, like strengthening fibers with glue, or laminating glass, or enclosing their use area so pieces can't escape.

 b) Pack to reduce potential trash

- Don't bring extra packaging, especially packing peanuts, plastic, and disposable materials like paper cups and napkins.
- Avoid foods that create trash, like nuts in shells, fruit with cores, bony meats, etc.
- Bring extra trash bags and plan on picking up more trash than you create.
- Anything that might stray from your camp area, like cups and gear, should be marked with your name and "Lumerian Tribe" so it can be tracked back to you.

2) Event conduct

 a) Smoking

- Most Lumerians don't smoke, so don't expect there to be a path for your cigarette off the playa.  Therefore, you should never light up unless you know what you are going to do with the butt (or other remnant).  Loose (tapped) ash is okay out on the playa (an Altoid can is better), but the cigarette itself should never touch the ground, even just to grind it out.  Plan on bringing the butt back to your own trash bag. DO NOT THROW BUTTS IN THE PORTAPOTTIES!


 b) Construction

- Be aware of any excess materials you may be creating - like board ends, splinters, bent nails, plastic remnants - and know how you are going to prevent them from hitting the ground before you start building.

- Certain activities are inherently difficult to keep debris free, like sawing and stripping wires.  As much as possible, do these over tarps or in enclosed areas where falling debris can be corralled.

- Design your project so that it creates a minimum of holes in the playa, and of the smallest size possible.  None of the Lumerian Tribe's projects should require any digging in the playa, only rebar stakes, which naturally should be removed by the people who put them in at the end of the event.

 c) Eating

- There is no central tribal organization to collect trash, so for food that creates trash, have a plan for the leftovers before you start.  Where is that banana peel or apple core going to go?  If the wind picks up will those nut shells in your lap go flying?  No food should ever touch the ground, and should not be left unattended anywhere in the open, especially where the wind could dump it over.

 d) Recycle

- Plan to rinse and take your aluminum (don't use glass!) to Re-Cycle Camp, and volunteer to ride the crusher bike for others.  It's fun!  

 e) On the playa

- Lumerians have a tradition of chasing down accidental and random trash we see out on the playa, especially right after a burn.  Please join in!  The existence of the event depends on all citizens working together to leave no trace.  

- Plan on bringing everything you take with you from camp, back to camp.  This includes packaging, food waste, cigarette butts, sanitary supplies - everything.  Never never never never never never never never never never allow any of these things to fall into the portapotties.  We need them, and if the company decides that too much trash is in them, they will disappear, and so will Burning Man.

3) Cleanup

 a) Burning Man Organization asks participants to donate two hours to help clean up Black Rock City, outside of home camp cleanup.  Block this time out first.

 b) Next, plan on spending an hour cleaning up the tribal grounds, outside of your camping space and projects.  Block that out second.

 c) Plan on giving yourself a little more time than you think you'll actually need to leave no trace of yourself.  You may be surprised how many little particles are left in your camp site and underneath your project.  You may need to chase down things, or people, as well.  Be generous in blocking out that time.

Sound like a lot of time?  It is.  If you are not willing to spend the time you just blocked out, don't bother coming.  It is one of the sacrifices everyone has to make in order to attend Burning Man.

4) Exit

 a) Good Lumerian Tribesfolk plan on taking more away with them than they brought.  Early departers in particular should offer to take whatever they can off the playa (because the late people always get stuck with the trash), including pieces of other people's projects.  Do this especially if you came in a large vehicle!

 b) Plan on taking that trash all the way back to your home.  Do not dump it in Gerlach or Empire or even Reno unless that it your destination, or you're taking a plane from there.

 c) Look around for "nobody's stuff" - those are things that don't seem to belong to anybody and are there either because they were left for the town to use, or because someone forgot them or whatever.  You know, the things that look like they're going to end up strapped to the roof of the last car there.  There will be more of it than you think.

d) Check out to the LNT chair (Keith) *well* before you have to go, 

If everyone follows these guidelines, the Lumerian tribal encampment will disappear the way it should, helping to ensure the continuing existence of the tribe and Burning Man for years to come!

ADDENDUM FOR SPECIFIC PROJECT TYPES:

We have specific types of projects in the Lumerian Tribe that require special care to make sure that we achieve our LNT goal.  Lumerians should review and follow these strategies for any project of the types listed below.

1) Dome projects

 a) Nuts and Bolts:  Fasteners can disappear into the playa before you can say MOOP (Matter out of place)!  When assembling or disassembling a dome make sure that you keep a firm hand on nuts, bolts and washers.  If you can't, then you must have a tarp below to catch falling fasteners.  You should have a magnet on hand as well, to help find fallen metal.

 b) Rebar: Have a count of stakes before you put them in and count them after you take them out.  If they are large (>18"), have a jack or plan to remove them if they stick.

 c) Covering/decorations:  Follow the same rules for costumes concerning materials.  Also make sure that they are secure and won't fly away in the 70 mph gust of wind that *will* happen during the event.


2) Flame art

 a) Fuel: Liquid fuel should be stored in the fuel dump, on a tarp to avoid seepage from spills, and covered to avoid excessive pressure buildup from solar heating.  Please use a funnel to avoid spills.  

 b) Plastic: Must not burn!  Please make sure your design doesn't put plastic into prolonged contact with flame or very hot surfaces.


3) Service projects

 a) Cups:  If passed out, there should be a recepticle for used cups.  Asking participants to drink and then to be responsible for a cup is asking for MOOP.

 b) Materials: If any materials are passed out (flyers, cards, etc...) they should be designed and presented as if they are going to be taken off the playa by the participant.