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Winter Newsletter 2025

January 6, 2026

See this newsletter in it’s original format here.

2025 marked 20 years of Burners Without Borders. This year, we celebrated two decades of people showing up, using creativity to solve local challenges, and building communities through meaningful, hands-on action. What began as a small group of Burners responding to disaster has grown into a global network of community-led efforts rooted in civic engagement, collaboration, and caring for one another.

Thank you to everyone who shared your stories, photos, and memories. You helped make this milestone year not just a celebration of the past, but a powerful reminder of what we can build together.

This year-end newsletter offers a snapshot of our 20th year: highlights from across the BWB chapter network, reflections of our work from author Roxane Jessi, a deep dive into Detroit’s long-standing impact and a first look at the recipients of the Regional Event Civic Ignition grant.

If you’re inspired by the work we do, please donate today to support our ongoing work.  As always, we invite you to join us for upcoming events and stay connected with the community.

But for now, here’s our 2025 Year End Wrap Up:

  • 17 BWB Chapters
  • 30 BWB Working Groups
  • A total of 47 activated groups across the globe
  • 12 grants awarded across 11 subject areas. 
  • 99 participants at Fly Ranch at the BWB Spring Summit 
  • 14 projects received through the BWB Project Proposal Form.
  • Hosted 111 campers at BWB-Black Rock City 
  • 4 community-led programs coordinated to advance sustainability in BRC
  • 32 educational opportunities offered through BWBxEDU

With $37,743 raised, the BWB Chapter and Working Group network impacted over 10,000 people and activated 900+ volunteers towards 10,986 hours of civic service in 2025

What People are Saying….

“A member of our Chapter branched out and started their own outreach initiative in another city,  three events of success for them so far!” – Charlene, BWB Chapter Co-Lead

If you’re a community leader (or want to be), join us in contributing to our worldwide impact story. Connect with your local BWB group and become part of our global network!

Major successes this year included expanded participation in the Green Corridor, BLAST, RAT and the Black Rock Compost Program—all initiatives emerging from the Green Theme Camp Community (GTCC). Plus a new Solar Donation program from the BRC Solar Team. 

  • Black Rock City hosted 2 Green Corridors with 35 placed theme camps actively working toward the goals of the 2030 Environmental Sustainability Roadmap.
  • 105 Camps participated in Burner Leadership Achieving Sustainable Theme Camps (BLAST), a camp sustainability rating program on key infrastructure areas: power, water, food, waste, shelter, and transportation. This was a 24% increase from 2024, with 63 new camps joining the program.
  • 18,000lbs of food waste were diverted from the landfill though the Black Rock Compost Program which grew to 3 resource recovery camps this year, supporting 200 camps and 9,500 participants.
  • 22 artists were mentored by Renewables for Artists Team (RAT) and returned for a second year with 2 mobile solar generators. 
  • 1 Solar Donation Station, launched by the BRC Solar Team was hosted at BWB camp and helped Burners borrow, loan, and rehome solar panels.

Supported 14 Projects Across 8 Subject Areas:

What People are Saying….

“My experience with BWB was fantastic. They helped me get the ball rolling and provided me with a visual outline of the steps I needed to take, which was a great jumping-off point for getting the project started.” -Hailey, BWB Project Lead  

The bread and butter of BWB are the projects we support and members we create. Share your project with us via the BWB Project Proposal Form to see how we can support your impact.

BWB received 54 grant submissions from 10 countries and funded 13 projects—including our first-ever Regional Event Civic Ignition Grant.

3 projects were locally run or matched, amplifying impact and bringing total funding to $14,000.

What People are Saying….

Welsh writer, Raymond Williams, said, ‘To be truly radical, is to make hope possible, rather than despair convincing.’ With the help of this grant, Burners Without Borders fostered the possibility of hope and created change in my community by contributing to the creation of Canberra’s first Co-housing community. – Cris Clacaus, BWB Grantee 

BWBxEDU hosted 32 unique learning offerings across digital, on-playa, and in-person spaces, cultivating opportunities for shared learning, skill-building, and storytelling throughout our global network.

2 BWB Worldwide Calls with 206 registered participants and over 200+ replays.

The BWB Spring Summit brought together conversations centering on the theme, “What Futures Now?” There were 8 programming offerings.
Highlights Include: 

We hosted 3 days of a Black Rock City speaker series, with 17 events focused on exploring systems change, cultural resilience, and embodied action through workshops and dialogue.

At Bay Area Decompression, we hosted 5 speakers from across the BWB network. Stay tuned for these recordings. 
Featured Talks:

  • Mesh Networks (BWB SF/Bay Area) 
  • Rotary x BWB (John Paul aka Sputnik) 
  • A.L.O.H.A.B.U.R.N. (Jonah Lion) 
  • Black Rock Compost (Kat Nadel) 
  • BLAST (Wesley Chen) 

Never miss a virtual on in-person learning opportunity! Subscribe to our Community Calendar. 

Burners Without Borders at 20: What’s Next & How to Get Involved

To celebrate 20 years of Burners Without Borders, Once Upon a Time in the Dust’ author Roxane Jessi spoke with BWB community members around the world to reflect on the evolution of the network and explore what’s next.

From mutual aid to permaculture, this story captures the heart of BWB’s impact and the power of community-led action.

Whether you’re already involved or just getting started, this is a must-read piece that invites you to be part of what comes next. Read the full article here

 Regional Event Civic Ignition Grant Winners Announced 

We’re thrilled to share the winners of the first-ever Regional Event Civic Ignition Grant, awarded during Burn After Meeting (BAM)—a gathering of Regional Event producers and community leaders. Out of 27 submissions representing 9 countries , 2 standout projects rose to the top in a consensus-based grant workshop facilitated by 17 community leaders. Read the full announcement here.

StarShade* – Squirtle & Team (Portland / SOAK)

→ A solar-powered, origami-inspired shade structure designed for quick deployment in off-grid environments. StarShade provides renewable energy and shelter for art, camps, and event infrastructure.

Lux Capacitor – Glass House Arts (San Diego / Youtopia)

→ An open-source, walkable solar floodlight system designed to illuminate art and pathways at Regional Events—cutting down on generator use, boosting safety, and improving nighttime aesthetics.

*Bonus: StarShade also received matched funds from their local Burner nonprofit, Precipitation Northwest, a 501(c)(3) dedicated to fostering participatory art, civic engagement, and leadership development.

Have a bold civic idea for your next event? Want to bring a Civic Ignition workshop to your region? Reach out to: bwb@burningman.org

BWB Detroit’s Legacy of ‘Me to We’ 

As part of our 20th anniversary celebration, we wanted to honor BWB Detroit as one of the longest-running Chapters. In a recent article, we trace the Chapter’s evolution from one person handing out supplies from the back of a Jeep to a city-wide network of care. From backpacks and Free Stores to pop-up salons and micro-shelters, Detroit’s story is a powerful example of what it means to go from ‘me to we’. Discover the history of BWB Detroit, and how its legacy continues to grow. Read the full article here.

Save the Date: 2026 BWB Summer Solstice (Summit) at Fly Ranch

BWB is entering into a new era with Fly Ranch. On this winter Solstice we want to share a seed that has been slowly germinating that will break ground and bloom as spring becomes summer. You are invited to join us for the 2026 BWB Summer Solstice, June 18-21, marking the 40th anniversary of the first Man Burn on Baker Beach.

If you’re interested in attending, please save the date!  Look for more information about the event in the New Year including theme, tickets, programming and more. If you’d like to be notified when our interest form is live, please email us at bwb@burningman.org Subject: Solstice

BWB Detroit is back to blogging, sharing real-time stories from the field. Read more here. 

BWB Detroit 

BWB Detroit is rising to the challenge as the city faces an unusually harsh winter. In response to reduced SNAP benefits, the team has shifted from backpack meals to shelf-stable food and pantry essentials.

Winter events in Cass Park will continue to offer warm meals, takeaway food, clothing, bedding, and blankets—helping neighbors stay nourished and warm through the cold months.

BWB Sacramento

BWB Sacramento in partnership with Connected By Our Humanity and The Gathering Inn, received a 2025 Partnership Project Grant to support Expressive Art Therapy at two locations: the Mid Placer Shelter and the TGI Mobile Temporary Shelter, a low-barrier refuge for guests navigating addiction and mental health challenges in Placer County. Two additional grants will help expand this programming to all Placer County shelters! 

BWB North Texas

BWB North Texas supported their 5th volunteer activation at Minnie’s Food Pantry in Plano, TX, continuing a strong partnership with the impactful food distribution organization. Volunteers help with sorting and stocking food, packing cold bags, assisting the client drive-thru line, organizing pallets, and helping in Minnie’s Boutique. As always, the morning wrapped with a shared lunch, offering space for connection and reflection after a meaningful few hours of service.

London, UK

Do you live in or around London and want to connect with Burners Without Borders? We have new leadership stepping in and are beginning to organize locally—now’s a great time to get involved. If you’re interested in helping shape what’s next, email us at bwb@burningman.org  Subject: London

BWB Volunteer Opportunity: Storytellers

Writers, content creators, and comms-minded folks, help Burners Without Borders share the magic happening across our global network. Pick up small storytelling tasks like drafting social posts, interviewing project leads, or writing short features. Bonus points if you’re social media savvy or love turning raw stories into compelling content. This is a great way to connect with community-builders around the world and support grassroots action through the power of narrative. Email: bwb@burningman.org Subject: Story 

Ready to Level up Your Disaster and Survival Skills?

This January, just north of Los Angeles, a unique training event, Camp DoomsDaddy, offers the chance to do just that. Led by longtime Burner and BWB collaborator Sam Bloch, this immersive experience is designed to build real-world preparedness in a hands-on, community-driven environment.

Sam brings over 20 years of field experience, having launched the BWB Peru project, built World Central Kitchen’s emergency ops, and served on the Watch Duty advisory board. He’s responded to over 100 disasters worldwide and is now sharing that knowledge with others. Discounts are available to keep participation accessible. Learn more here. 

Food as a Tool for Regeneration

Recorded live at the Burners Without Borders Camp at Burning Man in 2024, this inspiring conversation, hosted by chef and educator Charles Michel, explores how food can nourish more than just our bodies.

Guests Monique Marez of the Pueblo Food Project and ceremonial chef Tyler “Sycamore” Marez share how food can restore ecosystems, revitalize communities, and deepen our relationship with the natural world. Listen now and be inspired 

‘How We Built Watch Duty, the Lifesaving Wildfire Alert App’ | John Mills | TED

After surviving an unreported wildfire alone in the California woods, Burner John Clark Mills decided he couldn’t wait for help that might never come. In this powerful new TED Talk, Mills shares how he gathered a network of fire survivors and retired first responders to build Watch Duty, a nonprofit emergency alert system now outpacing official warnings and saving lives. This talk is a compelling example of civic innovation in action, showing how community-led systems can step in where traditional ones fall short.

Watch the full talk → TED | Watch Duty

BWB exists because of YOU 

Over the years your participation and generous support have enabled this creative community to accomplish so much around the world.

BWB is known for helping real people solve real problems. The unique gifts this community brings to the international stage are quickly transforming what people think is possible.

To continue doing this important work we need your help. Consider donating to the continued success of BWB. Any amount that you can give will go a long way in helping us to reach our goals. Thank you for all the support you’ve given thus far!  

Stay Connected:  Explore The BWB Ecosystem of Current News, Social Media Channels, & How To Get Involved.

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