Leaving No Trace – Important message from the Kiwiburn MOOP ARMY
Kiwiburn is almost here, and with it comes the danger of MOOP (Matter Out Of Place). It is every Burner’s responsibility to ensure that the Paddock is left tidy and clean – MOOP free – when we leave. If we leave site in a mess, we may not be invited back next year, which would totally suck.
Managing MOOP as an individual
– Be conscious that everything you bring (or are gifted while there) can become MOOP . You are required to take everything away when you leave – there are no rubbish or recycling bins on site. Natural items (like sticks, rocks, and branches) that you might find and relocate to your campsite for whatever reason are also MOOP if you don’t put them back before you leave.
– Recycle wherever possible. For example, leave the outer cardboard food packaging at home and just bring the inner bag, or better still, just bring the contents in a reusable container.
– Bringing anything that’s tattered, torn, or frayed edges on your tarpaulin, groundsheet, or tent? Loose buttons or half-falling off decorative bits and bobs on your radically self-expressive outfits? Better repair or replace these potentially MOOPY items before you arrive, or maybe just leave them at home.
– Please don’t bring any prohibited items to Kiwiburn – there is a list of these in the survival guide. Most of the things on this list are prohibited because they are, or have a high risk of becoming MOOP.
– Don’t put any rubbish into the portable toilets. These are only for bodily wastes (toilets are for POOP not MOOP).
– Cigarette smokers, please be like Larry and put your butts in a little tin that you carry around with you. This practice won’t stop global warming, racism, or sexism, but it greatly reduces the amount of time required to clean up MOOP post-event – cigarette waste is one of the most common types of MOOP that hits the Paddock. Please be a responsible smoker and don’t let dem butts hit the ground.
– If you see MOOP, pick it up! Kiwiburn is, after all, a do-ocracy.
Managing MOOP at your camp
– Make sure all your campmates know to keep the camp tidy and manage MOOP during the event. Clean your camp as you go! It’s much easier to clean than to do it all on Exodus day. A clean camp is also a happy and safe one.
– Bring bags with you for all your rubbish and recycling, tie them up securely when full, and put them aside out the way ready for removal on Exodus Day. Consider possibly getting thicker, heavier grade plastic bags. These have a lesser chance of tearing open and spilling their guts out – something worth considering especially if these bags will be travelling home with you in open topped trailers or secured to roof racks.
– Plastic buckets or bins with tight fitting lids are a good option for keeping your rubbish contained and secure. Tight fitting lids will also keep any bad smells and flies at bay.
– Food waste is also MOOP. Just because it is biodegradable does not mean it can be dumped on or around the Paddock. Also be careful when responsibly disposing of grey water to make sure it contains no food scraps.
On Exodus Day
– Pack down camp and load up everything into your vehicle. When your camp is all packed up and before leaving site, get campmates/neighbours together, and line sweep your campsite(s) to make sure that you’ve left absolutely no trace behind. Not sure about how to line sweep for MOOP? It’s pretty simple, check out this link . The Leave No Trace MOOP ARMY volunteers will also be out and about on Exodus day to help out.
– Please don’t leave your rubbish or recycling in public bins in Hunterville or other neighbouring towns. If you don’t fancy sharing the ride home with stinking bags of rubbish, the Rangitikei District Council’s waste transfer station on King Street in Marton is open till 11:30am on Exodus Day. There is a small fee for dumping rubbish, but recyclables can be dropped off for free.
The Post-Exodus work of the MOOP ARMY
– The Leave No Trace MOOP ARMY volunteers remain on the Paddock to conduct further line sweeps of the entire site until the whole site can be signed off as being totally clean and MOOP free. MOOP ARMY are also involved in the work required to remediate burn scars (the biggest traces we leave), and survey the entire site to compile the annual Kiwiburn MOOP MAP, which serves as an important record of how well we did as a community in maintaining the principle of Leave No Trace. Want to find out how clean your Theme Camp was this year? Where was the most MOOP? Where was the least MOOP? What was the most common type of MOOP? Where did we the MOOP ARMY find MOOP in trees? Post-event the Leave No Trace MOOP ARMY reports back to the community on all matters MOOP.
MOOP ARMY WANTS YOU!
Still haven’t signed up to volunteer? Got a keen eye for spotting even the tiniest little bit of MOOP and got the time to spare post-event to make sure every last little bit is picked up? Know a thing or two about surveying? Or perhaps you are keen to join the ranks of the MOOP ARMY and learn a bit of surveying skills along the way? MOOP ARMY wants you! Sign up to volunteer for MOOP ARMY here – or sign up on site at The Depot.
[HW1]https://burningman.org/event/preparation/leaving-no-trace/line-sweep/
