Just like Burning Man, unSCruz is a Leave No Trace (LNT) event. Even though we’re in a very different kind of location than the playa, it’s important that attendees still keep track of their trash and keep the event pristine. We want to be able to keep coming back, plus it’s just good practice and good citizenship.

For anyone who doesn’t already know, MOOP means Matter Out of Place and that’s what we call trash on the ground. You can go by our LNT booth to find out fun ways to keep hold of your trash (and create less of it) and look at our favorite ground scores. Check out the infamous MOOP Hoop and look for our MOOP Fairies as they keep the fairgrounds clean and sparkly.

The key to LNT is that it’s everyone’s job to keep MOOP to a minimum. Here are some tips:

Pick it up even if you didn’t drop it – We’re all in this together, so if you see a piece of MOOP, pick it up and dispose of it properly even if it’s not yours.

Take care of your butts – If you smoke anything, be sure to carry a tin or other receptacle to collect the butts. DO NOT TOSS THEM ON THE GROUND. That’s disgusting. Milkmaid at the LNT booth is collecting tins before and during the event to decorate! You can use any metal tin or even old matchboxes.

Secure items in your camp – Though obviously unSCruz doesn’t have the wind that the playa has, wind can come up and can blow unsecured trash or other items out of your camp. In addition to just bringing fewer things that will become trash (more on that in the next blog post), put everything back where it belongs after you’re done using it, and put things that can blow away in a bin or your tent so other people don’t have to deal with it if it escapes your space.

Bring items that don’t shed – When you’re deciding what to bring to the event, pack the items that will stay whole during the weekend and limit things that will shed, like sequins (sad face ☹ ), feathers, dried plant decorations, or MOOPY rugs.

We appreciate your help in keeping unSCruz an LNT event!

See you soon!