Report Back: BWB In Black Rock City 2024 (BWB-BRC)

October 10, 2024

Report Back: BWB In Black Rock City 2024 (BWB-BRC)

Burners Without Borders (BWB) camp at Black Rock City marked its 19th year since forming in 2006. Located at Esplanade & 3:45, BWB-BRC is dedicated to practicing and celebrating thriving community models.  Additionally, BWB-BRC aims to be a vibrant and meaningful gathering spot in Black Rock City, drawing in BWB chapter members, project leaders, Indigenous community members and elders, government officials, nonprofit workers, network leaders, and volunteers from civic and sustainability initiatives. 

In 2024, the camp featured a variety of offerings, including a Mobile Resource Unit (MRU) for tool sharing, a three-day speaker series, a dinner for over 120 community leaders, a bike tour of global art and BWB projects, and a nighttime music lineup. BWB continues to serve as a hub for several on-playa sustainability initiatives including BLAST, RAT, BRC Solar Team and Leadership from the Playawide Compost Program. As the founding camp of the Green Corridor, we are proud to feature biofiltration toilets for public use, along with a solar-powered walk-in refrigerator. These elements reflect our ongoing effort to create a model green theme camp. At the heart of the camp, the fire pit—originally salvaged from Hurricane Katrina—offered a welcoming space for warmth and conversation, hosting an open roast and two effigy burns along Esplanade throughout the week. Still curious? Read more below. 

BWB Ride Around the World Bike + Art Tour 

As the sun set on the first day of talks at the BWB camp, over 40 participants embarked on the Ride Around The World! Bike+Art Tour. Organized by BWB Colombia Co-lead, Charlotte de Casabianca, he tour showcased international art installations alongside BWB projects from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, and Mexico, highlighting Burning Man culture’s global reach. 
This tour helped bridge the gap between art, artist, and social change on varying levels, demonstrating how creative initiatives can address and impact pressing global issues. The tour was well received and left us energized and planning to create a similar tour again next year. 

Among tour highlights was a Brazilian art project by Brazilian-American New Yorker Fiona Aboud that was serendipitously aligned with BWB Brazil’s direct efforts to support Indigenous communities in Brazil.

Through this tour, we discovered that the “Flamin-go with Love” art project, which addresses global poverty, employs a similar approach to BWB by applying creative problem-solving and innovative thinking at a grassroots level. The project utilizes blockchain technology to raise and transfer funds directly to under-resourced communities in Maranhão, Brazil. The project’s digital and physical art raises awareness and provides direct financial support, bypassing usual intermediaries. 

Sorry you missed the tour? Learn about the art and BWB Projects through our itinerary

Hosting the Pyramid Lake Paiute at Burners Without Borders

Continuing our tradition of hosting Indigenous community members, Burners Without Borders had the opportunity to receive Dean Barlese, elder of the Pyramid Lake Spiritual Healing Center and his companions from the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe who were to bless the Temple. BWB offered to host the Paiute for their meeting and pipe ceremony, supporting our guests with food and drinks to nourish their offerings including coffee, sweetbreads, purified water, and homegrown organic tobacco. 

During a subsequent visit, Dean shared the requests and needs he is holding on behalf of his tribe with us:

• More support for the local tribal clinic – financial and otherwise 
• A wheelchair ramp on the back of Dean’s personal home for emergencies 
• A diabetes center near Pyramid Lake for local treatment of their widely shared epidemic 
• Support with access to nutrient-rich and healthy foods for the Paiute near Pyramid Lake 

Dean presented his theories on Indigenous wisdom and environmental stewardship in a presentation with Donna Cossette—Guardians of the Earth—where they spoke about steps the Pyramid Lake Paiutes are taking for healthy food access facilitated by healing lands and waters. 

Want to learn more about the Numa of Pyramid Lake in their own words? Listen to the Burning Man LIVE! Podcast highlighting several prominent tribal members.

BWB Dinner for Community Leaders

The Community Leaders Dinner, is an annual gathering that brings together key leaders from various sustainability, civic, and volunteer initiatives. This year, the dinner focused on storytelling around food, highlighting regenerative food systems as a central theme. The food served at the dinner was thoughtfully selected to honor and reflect some of the regions where Burners Without Borders projects are making an impact around the world. Each dish highlighted local flavors and traditions, celebrating the cultural diversity and global reach of BWB’s work while reinforcing the importance of sustainable and regenerative food practices.

The dinner fosters connection and collaboration among leaders, allowing them to discuss ongoing projects and potential partnerships. Ultimately, the event is a thank you for those engaged in civic work and aims to strengthen relationships and support a more sustainable, inclusive, and forward-thinking community, both within Black Rock City and beyond. 

​​After dinner, we gathered around the fire pit to host an effigy burn, creating a moment of reflection and connection. The effigy depicted two interconnected hands, symbolizing the spirit of community, and representing a shared experience that celebrated the evening’s themes of sustainability, storytelling, and global impact.

BWB Speaker SeriesProgramming at Black Rock City 

The BWB Camp hostsed a wide range of talks and workshops from Tuesday through Thursday, centered around social and ecological transition. Our themes were: Global Community & Future Storytelling, Bioregionalism, and Tactical Sustainability.

> Tuesday: Global Community & Future Storytelling
We opened Tuesday with members of the Regional Network team, kicking off the day’s theme with a panel discussion that led to a behind-the-scenes dialogue with 25 to Thrive members.

Next, we welcomed four Danish scientists camping with BWB who explored Hopeful Climate Narratives, followed by a session on Art as a Tool for Impact. This dialogue featured artists from the playa discussing how their work addresses pressing social and environmental issues. (More on that below)

> Wednesday: Bioregionalism
The day began with Ignite Talks, drawing participants from across the globe to share their projects. Topics ranged from mutual aid initiatives providing housing and food for houseless individuals and migrants to ecological consultancies for festivals and events. Speakers included List the people: Haliey from Burner Gear Giveback, Charlotte from the Germiantor, and Doug from the 10 Ppieces Iinitiative,. 

Panel discussions on BioRegional Hubs and BioRegional Economies followed, outlining a movement focused on creating physical resource centers in ecologically connected communities. These hubs aim to secure food, water, medicine, and shelter while fostering skill-building and collective resource organization. Samantha Power debuted her book, bridging her experience at the World Bank with today’s bioregional movement for transitional economies.

> Thursday: Tactical Sustainability
Thursday’s programming featured a dialogue on Regenerative Food Systems and a panel showcasing Burner Land Projects from Sweden, Colorado, and San Diego. The day wrapped up with a Sustainability Tour on Abraxas, during which the Green Theme Camp Community hosted a happy hour at BWB, bringing together members of BLAST, RAT, the Green Corridor, and camps participating in the Renewable fuel program.

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THE PACA RESEARCH PROJECT: 

The “Enacting Post-Anthropocentric Climate Action (PACA) Narratives” project, led by researchers from the Climate Elite Center at the University of Southern Denmark (SDU), was completed at the Burner Without Borders camp. The initiative brought participants together to craft and enact hopeful climate narratives through flash fiction writing, performative play, and collaborative music making. In the first session, participants wrote flash fiction stories imagining positive climate futures in 2064, followed by discussions exploring the narratives’ tonality and themes. These stories were then analyzed and clustered into thematic groups, and music triggers were generated to accompany the second session. In the subsequent performance, participants interpreted and acted out the stories using improvisational theatre, incorporating the musical elements created in the earlier phase.

The PACA project was designed to address the need for positive climate narratives that inspire global action, moving beyond technological solutions to consider alternative social models. Burning Man’s principles of inclusion, environmental stewardship, and decommodification provided an ideal space for exploring these post-anthropocentric ideas. The stories created, with participant permission, have been archived in the, “Burning the Man, Academically,” database. A short report summarizing the project’s findings is now available to the Burning Man community, offering insights into the potential of these narratives to mobilize climate action. We invite you to check out the full report and while listening to the musical triggers. 

Read the full project summary here:

Supporting Participant and Organizational Sustainability Programs:

BWB-BRC plays a key role in supporting a variety of sustainability initiatives. We hosted infrastructure and meeting space for several critical programs, including Burner Leadership Achieving Sustainable Theme Camps (BLAST), the Renewables for Artists Team (RAT), the Green Corridor,  the Playawide Composting Program, and the DPW Solar Team’s Solar Container Shop. BWB on playa serves as a hub for these programs, fostering collaboration and communication across various sustainability efforts. Each of these initiatives requires a cadre of committed volunteers. If you are interested in getting involved with any of the programs below please reach out to us at bwb@burningman.org 

1. Burner Leadership Achieving Sustainable Theme Camps (BLAST):
   BLAST is a key initiative designed to empower theme camp leaders to adopt and implement sustainable practices at Black Rock City (BRC). The program provides resources, training, and mentorship to camp leaders, helping them reduce their environmental impact through waste reduction, energy efficiency, and eco-friendly camp designs. By encouraging participants to embrace green technologies, renewable energy sources, and sustainable infrastructure, BLAST aims to create a more environmentally responsible community on playa, setting an example for future gatherings. Each year members of the BLAST team tour camps that request BLAST ratings to offer feedback and discover innovative ways that camps are handling  waste, water, shelter, transportation, and energy systems. 

2. Renewables for Artists Team (RAT):
   The Renewables for Artists Team (RAT) is dedicated to helping artists integrate renewable energy sources into their projects and installations at BRC. RAT offers technical support, knowledge sharing, and resources for using solar, wind, and other clean energy technologies. By collaborating and mentoring artists, RAT ensures that large-scale art installations and performances at BRC are powered by sustainable energy sources, reducing the reliance on fossil fuels and contributing to a cleaner, greener event. Their work aligns with the overall mission of promoting sustainability within the artistic community at BRC.

3. The Green Corridor:
   The Green Corridor is a designated area within BRC where sustainability-focused theme camps, projects, and initiatives are clustered together. Located in the 4:00 sector of Black Rock City 2024. This section of the city showcases camps that prioritize eco-consciousness, with efforts ranging from zero-waste principles and regenerative systems to renewable energy usage. The Green Corridor serves as a living example of how sustainability can be incorporated into the BRC experience, offering participants a space to learn, engage, and be inspired by innovative green practices. It’s a hub for collaboration, education, and experimentation, where participants can share best practices for sustainable living on and off playa. The ultimate vision for the Green Corridor is to expand its principles across the entire playa, creating a future where sustainability is woven into every aspect of Black Rock City. The goal is for the day to come when the need for a designated “green” area is no longer necessary, as the entire community embraces environmentally conscious practices as the norm.

4. The Playawide Composting Program:
   The Playawide Composting Program is a large-scale initiative designed to divert organic waste from landfills by turning it into nutrient-rich compost. Throughout the week, camps and individuals are encouraged to separate their organic waste, which is then collected and processed into compost. This program not only helps reduce the overall waste footprint of BRC but also contributes to the creation of a closed-loop system, where waste is repurposed into valuable resources. The compost produced can be used to enrich soils in restoration projects, including those at Fly Ranch, helping to regenerate the land while promoting responsible waste management practices among the community. For the first time, in 2024, BWB gifted the BRC compost program with biochar created during an effigy burn at the 2024 Spring Summit. This biochar was added to the compost coming directly from BRC’s internal operations. Read more about our biochar effigy at Fly Ranch here.

Each of these initiatives contributes to the broader goal of making BRC and its community more sustainable, both during the event and in their year-round practices. Check out the 2023 Sustainability Road Map here. 

As we reflect back on BWB-BRC in 2024, it is clear that our commitment to sustainability, community, and cultural celebration continues to thrive. This year’s camp showed the power of collaboration and creativity. Each event, discussion, and shared meal reinforced our collective mission to cultivate a more regenerative future and strengthen the connections that bind us. 

As we prepare to celebrate our 20th year on playa in 2025, we are deeply inspired by the stories shared, the partnerships formed, and the lessons learned throughout our journey. These experiences will continue to guide us in the years to come. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who contributed to this year’s success. Want to stay connected with BWB? Be sure to subscribe to our quarterly newsletter and Explore the BWB Ecosystem here.