I needed to calm down before writing this post, Tuesday after the event I went out on the playa to inspect it and make sure that we don't get fined again by the BLM thus causing our registration fees to go up once again.
I was frustrated at first by what I found, along zip ties, kite lines, cigarette butts,more cigarette butts stuck in the cracks, wires, and the most annoying was DOG #@%$#!! I was really angry by what I found at first (piking up dog #@%$#! isn't fun specially if its someone else s dog)but I realized that it is obvious not everyone understands what "LEAVE NO TRACE BEHIND MEANS" so if you registered and got a nifty little tan color card inside your shirt that would have explained what it means. but in simple words, if we leave the playa with litter or blue stain form the porta potties (which got us fined last year) or things that we brought in (including dog #@%$#!) that will cause us to get fined again and the registration will go up, not only that but remember use of the playa is a privilege no a right and if we don't take care of it we will loose it. So please do your part to inform others and help to keep our playa clean and accessible for future years to come

Thank You! I had a great week and look forward to flying with you again!...

the bugie mekanik
Fast Freddy

I thought this was automatic. I remember putting my trimmed zip ties in my car after snipping them off to attach my number card to the buggy. I'm glad you were a good enough steward to check it after we were all gone. There is no excuse for leaving dog crap on the ground. Probably one dog owner as well. Someone was letting their dog run loose and he actually ran beside me in the buggy once. That opens the door for the dog to do things the owner isn't aware of. Nevertheless, it is never the dog's fault. I'd hate for unscrupulous pet owners to ruin it for those that were responsible for their pets, but that is how that stuff gets taken care of.

Surely smokers know that the filter material takes years to decompose. I'm sure this practice wasn't widespread either but a small percentage of attendees. I cant' imagine someone being around my kites with a lit cig!

Thank you bugie mekanik!

That is very upsetting what you found after everyone had gone. It is a shame not everyone worked at leaving no trace. I know for me I have picked up dog crap from Florida all the way to California.

Thank you for picking up after us. Maybe next year everyone can read the rules and abide by them.

Susan (npw goddess)

Lets hope the brown " present " + other butt products were left by somebody who was not one of US.

I know many people see us as they are driving in on the Highway and stop by to check us out. :dunno:

The tossed ties and string had to be us

Just curious ...... was that card telling me how to " leave no trace " biodegradable ?????? It seemed like it would last forever ? Kind of an oximoron posing as aoxo was my 1st thought ? SORRY !

Thanks a TON for watching out for the least of us Freddie!

Sorry you had to deal with that, Freddie, and thank you for trying to clean it up. Yes, I'm a smoker, but I guarantee none of those were mine (all in a cup and in the car.) I tried to pick up garbage that I saw (tumble weed Wal-Mart bags grabbed from mid air.) And I don't think I pooped on the Playa, except in my buggy seat once or twice.

Man that whole situation sucks. We are long distance primative backpackers. And rule #1 is leave no trace. And it is posted at all lodges and posting places on the trails. And still you get idiots leaving big piles of junk.
Even a powerbar rapper is a mess. We spend alot of time picking up others trash on the trails.
Take only photos, and leave only footprints.

Just to add a few notes, first of all thanks for positive feedback. My post was not to point fingers or anything like that, my point is that if we keep growing like we have been, soon there will be 500 folks in a 1/4 mile stretch of playa, if all of us dropped one piece of garbage even though unintentional or however biodegradable it may be, (dog poop) it still make a big impact not only on the environment but on our image as a group. how often have you pulled up to a picnic site or a campsite just to be disappointed by all the garbage that's left from people before? It is time we all took part in taking care of our playgrounds before we loose them!
As far as the card I believe it is made from recycled material and its made to last so it is passed around to others who are not familiar with it.

just talked to Claxton who informed me that we got a passing grade on the site, good job kite people!!! we will do it again bigger and better next year.


FF

That's good news about the passing grade - I was quite troubled by this all weekend I have to say. We're one of the dog owners and, like Susan, we pack it out with us no matter where we are. Sometimes we miss it but we can assure you the Playa was not one of the places we missed it.

I always pick up the junk I find on my hiking excursions and once, during a pristine hike in Jasper I had a thought to collect it all and turn it into art...like a trash tree or something - just to show all the crap I find out in mother nature. Quite sad. Thanks for looking out for us!

Fred- I guess I did not understand the Leave No Trace - I do apologize to you and to Everyone.
Anytime I saw Otoe Poop - I cleaned it up - except when I took him for walks to the south of the camp area. He would go a little into the dune area and I would not go in to clean that up. I was thinking it was best for me not in walk in that area. I am sorry and if I lived closer I would come back and clean it up. Cat

ooohhhh CAT! that's it, Otoe is banned from the Playa now!! no no im just kidding, I know no one left things behind intentionally, and it is simply a matter of awareness, just like I had to be informed about certain things in the past. As our numbers grow communication will become essential, speaking to the NABX team now regarding ways to make it better, any and all suggestions are encouraged?

At the Newport kite fest it is at a state park. And there are no trash cans provided. So the organizers bring in a bunch and every vendor is suposed to as well I think. But the park service provides bags for people to use to bag there own trash. And we still end up policing the area in the end.
It is enevidable that there will be the few that have no consern about nature or the affects of trash on wildlife or the enviroment. But the more we all talk about it to the young they will talk to there folks and maybe in time it will become second nature. Like wearing a seatbelt in the car. 30 years ago noone wore them. Now everyone does.
Keep up the hard work. It will pay in the end.

We are committed.

One thing we try not to do at NABX is preach. We really try to lead by example.

I know that what is perceived as lack of information by some that think we should say more goes by many.

Ours is long term. We do things differently. We are us. We seek to inform quietly through word of mouth. It took us years to get rid of the dumpster. Many did not understand. Yet each year it was there, more garbage was left on the playa than ever before. Now the amount left is negligible. Humans are odd creatures, but they are not stupid.

NABX is a joint project.

Thanks to all that participate.

There will never be a year like this year!

Next year will be the best year ever!

Spread the word!

aoxo~awaits~!

Whoops who forgot the chairs in 2004

Is the code up for 2011 yet? :singing:

I think dino forgot his pink skirt laying around on the playa during the high winds? ....... Nope he still has them, maybe next year.