Desert Stewardship and Restoration

The Earth Guardians are committed to working year-round to ensure the conservation of the Black Rock Desert 's unique resources - biological, cultural, and historical. As home to Burning Man, the Desert has a profound impact on the Burning Man community. In return, Earth Guardians have partnered with BLM and other user groups to restore sensitive areas around the Black Rock Desert and have also taken on their own restoration projects.

Desert Collaboration: Partnering with other Black Rock Desert Groups to conserve the environment.

The Earth Guardians provide volunteers to come up to the desert year round to assist BLM and other desert users with restoration efforts. We work closely with both BLM and other organized groups that use the Black Rock Desert on conservation projects to complete restoration projects. Since 1990, the Burning Man community has worked to improve the desert by removing sizable quantities of glass, car bodies, tires, sheet metal, bed frames, stoves and refrigerators. We have removed cherry stem roads, build new campgrounds and documented archeological sites within the Black Rock NCA.

Before and after shots of a restoration project in the Calico Mountains

Desert Stewardship: Taking the initiative to preserve the pristine desert environment.

In 2004, Burning Man launched a multi-year project to restore a thriving wetland ecosystem at Frog Pond, a private ranch at the edge of the playa that was leased to provide water for the event. While we’re present on this land, we have a brief opportunity to focus Burning Man’s creative energy to leave it better, richer and more alive than when we arrived. At the height of fall bird migration, the migratory community of Black Rock City could build habitat for migrant wildlife.

This seemed like a nature spot where together we could create the best possible island of life in this ocean of dust. In 2003, we made the first small step toward restoration and improvement, an installation art fence of earth and branches closing off a small area to vehicle traffic.

During Burning Man in the last several years, Earth Guardians have led nature walks and done clean-up and restoration at the Frog Ponds. Participants were amazed by the abundance of life despite decades of heavy human impact, and inspired by the possibilities for enhancing wildlife habitat. The Frog Pond project will continue pending landowner approval. Full restoration of the property may not be possible due to continuing use for grazing. We are talking with the BLM about work on other nearby sites such as Coyote Springs and Trego Hot Springs. The Burning Man Organization has also purchased the 5-acre Gerlach Hot Springs property. Approximately one-third of the parcel is saltgrass wetland, which may be enhanced in conjunction with environmental installation art and sustainable development.

Part of the beauty of the Playa is its emptiness.

Desert Dreams: Mobilizing the Burning Man Community to conserve the environment.

How can a radical art festival like Burning Man affect the global environmental crisis? Perhaps by exploring how people relate to nature, using art and activism to promote ecological concepts. The ethics of radical self-reliance and “Leave No Trace” community responsibility have created a de facto environmental movement within Burning Man. The time is right to mobilize the event’s environmental artists, professionals and volunteers into a focused force for local and global change.

Potential Projects

You can help with future restoration efforts. We are forming a project team that will plan and organize and mobilize large numbers of volunteers before and during Burning Man. We have work for participants at all levels of involvement. For more information, contact us.