2011 Volunteering Question

[PuddleDucky]

2010 was my first time back on the playa in 9 years ... and it was as magical, glorious and hard as all my memories promised.

I'd like to return in 2011 and in considering two things jump out as desires:

1) I'd like to be far more involved in the building of the city.

2) My ideal timing would be to arrive around Wednesday/Thursday the week before and to leave about the same day during the event. (One week is about all my job and my marriage will allow).

I really want to help birth the city from the dust, and I don't feel a great compulsion to witness the burn (or the rave).

Some of this year's burners were in diapers when I first attended, but it has been so long that I feel out of touch with today's DPW and other pre-event volunteer options.

I can swing a hammer and work all day in the sun ... should I think about DPW? Look for an artist or a theme camp to help?

[Bob]

If that's all the time you have, forget DPW, the crews are nailed down early in the year and they start working late July / early August.

Find something you can work on near your town, some art project, or whatnot.

[motskyroonmatick]

I would consider first and foremost what kind of project you want to be involved with. This will probably involve your best construction skill set. Then see if any of the planned art or theme camps have something you are interested in. This may be in about 6 Months.

If you know about building pole barn structures perhaps you could get on the DPW crew for building the ice distribution points.

Fill out the volunteer application available on the main BM site and see if you get recruited.

Good luck. Volunteering has great rewards.

[PuddleDucky]

If that's all the time you have, forget DPW, the crews are nailed down early in the year and they start working late July / early August.

Thanks. I suspected as much. Plus, if they're anything like they were in the 90's my liver is scared of them

Find something you can work on near your town, some art project, or whatnot.

Great suggestion!

[PuddleDucky]

I would consider first and foremost what kind of project you want to be involved with. This will probably involve your best construction skill set. Then see if any of the planned art or theme camps have something you are interested in. This may be in about 6 Months.

If you know about building pole barn structures perhaps you could get on the DPW crew for building the ice distribution points.

Fill out the volunteer application available on the main BM site and see if you get recruited.

Good luck. Volunteering has great rewards.

Thanks! I may also toss the idea of shifting my week and volunteer with PG&E or DMV. I have a selfish desire to experience the build days, but mostly just know that I want to get more involved in the work of it one way or another.

[phil]

> I may also toss the idea of shifting my week and volunteer with PG&E

We all have our agendas, and mine is asking for volunteers to help with Exodus. I understand pulsing helped pass the time this year, but having more volunteers to guide the participants out of BRC is always beneficial.

Louise and I were on the radio on Exodus day, and we heard more people being sought for Exodus, but there were no more volunteers to be had.

We left on Tuesday, and it was 25 minutes from our camp to blacktop in spite of leaving in a white out. Work Monday and leave Tuesday is my recommendation. You can volunteer for other days at PG&E as well; we do. For more information:

http://www.burningman.com/participate/volunteer.html

[gyre]

Working exodus was fun, perhaps because I wasn't driving in it.


There are things you could do for your schedule though.

[TomServo]

2010 was my first time back on the playa in 9 years ... and it was as magical, glorious and hard as all my memories promised.

I'd like to return in 2011 and in considering two things jump out as desires:

1) I'd like to be far more involved in the building of the city.

2) My ideal timing would be to arrive around Wednesday/Thursday the week before and to leave about the same day during the event. (One week is about all my job and my marriage will allow).

I really want to help birth the city from the dust, and I don't feel a great compulsion to witness the burn (or the rave).

Some of this year's burners were in diapers when I first attended, but it has been so long that I feel out of touch with today's DPW and other pre-event volunteer options.

I can swing a hammer and work all day in the sun ... should I think about DPW? Look for an artist or a theme camp to help?

Contact DPW. Is a lot of work that goes on at the ranch in early spring. All those t posts with plastic tubing around the top, I did.