2004 California Rainbow Gathering - Modoc County CLEAN UP REPORT

Modoc Record Article from July 2004,
After the Rainbow Gathering in Modoc County, CALIFORNIA


Rainbows leave forest clean, tidy

The impact on the forest of the 20,000 members of the Rainbow Family camping in the area around Bear Camp Flat in the Modoc National Forest during June and July was negligible, according to District Ranger Edith S. Asrow of the Warner Mountain Ranger District

"It was pretty amazing to have that many people (who) just left nothing behind," says Asrow, admitting her initial skepticism. "I had my doubts. I heard good things about their rehab from other places. But until I saw it myself, I wasn't going to be convinced."

A tour of the occupied area revealed that a thorough and thoughtful job had been done to restore the forest to a near-natural condition. Campsites that once occupied almost every square inch of ground beneath the forest canopy were nearly indistinguishable from the natural, undisturbed forest floor. Using only hand tools primarily rakes and shovels to restore the nearly 2500-acre site, a few dedicated Rainbows remained after the celebration with the objective of cleaning up.

"The last two weeks of cleanup, it was down to about twenty people that were doing the last of what they call 'micro trash,' where they look for any bottle tops, pieces of paper or any of their pits that weren't buried right," notes Asrow.

To the casual observer, it is hard to tell that hundreds of vehicles and thousands of people were ever in that location. Charcoal that marked the remains of campfires that pockmarked the area was removed. Latrine pits were covered and repaired. Numerous oil spots from leaky vehicles were excavated and removed for proper disposal.

Nothing was left in the way of trash that is typically left behind by careless campers, no gum wrappers, no bottle tops and no beer cans.

"We easily had probably five or six thousand vehicles. And to be left with no ruts, no damage, no oil spills, all the garbage picked up," Asrow reflects, "I mean it's hard for us to find anything left behind."

Tent and camping sites, parking lots and gathering places had been carefully manicured with limbs, brush, leaves and miscellaneous natural material, leaving the distinct impression that they were pristine wilderness.

The exception to that rule is the loss of some small growth plants called forbs, some grasses and damage to sagebrush where vehicular and foot traffic had been the greatest, in parking lots and near campsites.

Damage to the sagebrush was clearly visible, but not irreparable since sagebrush is resilient enough to rebound quickly. "Even if you had a couple of acres of sagebrush impacted, with so many thousands of acres of sagebrush in this area, it doesn't have a huge impact on any wildlife population, etcetera," argues Asrow. "So it will all come back. The sagebrush is pretty hearty."

Asrow does seem intent to minimize the impact that hundreds of vehicles and thousands of people had on a pristine forest. "It will take a few years to repair itself, but it doesn't seem that there'll be any long term damage at all. So, that really was really light on the land."

Conditions at the site were closely monitored before, during and after the gathering, according to Asrow. "We did water quality sampling in certain locations along creeks and springs and (in the) quarry just as the Rainbows were arriving. We continued to do a second set of monitoring and so far have not turned up E. coli. We'll do one last set of monitoring in the quarry, where the swimming was, but the results of the water testing (so far) are good.

"We did soil compaction testing, and didn't find significant soil compaction," continues Asrow. "We did the monitoring of the creeks that were off limits. There was absolutely no use of them."

Although the Rainbow Family offered to provide seed to replant damaged areas, Asrow determined that re-seeding would be a waste of time after a thorough evaluation of the area. "We looked at the plants whether there was a need to seed some of the trails. We decided that there wasn't enough need for seed, that the natural vegetation was still vigorous and existent enough to reoccupy the trails."

Several vehicles were left behind as the celebrants exited the forest, adding to the chores of the cleanup crew. "They removed all the abandoned vehicles off the site," notes Asrow. Three of them now sit at the Likely transfer station, awaiting disposition.

All in all, the cleanup crew spent almost a month rehabilitating the site. "They were gone by August first, which was the end of their permit," observes Asrow.

A skeptic at first, Asrow admits to having a change of heart about the core Rainbow group that did the cleanup. "The people that stayed behind to do the rehab, I really felt were heroes for the gathering. It was a 20,000-person party, and they took care of all the cleanup. So, that was really a contribution, and I told them that."

2022 - 50th Anniversary Rainbow Gathering in COLORADO - Clean up

 In 2022, the Rainbow Family celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Gathering by returning to the state of Colorado, where the Gatherings began. As usual, locals in the area were VERY concerned about crime and damage to the area. A travel blogger who goes by Travel DNA on Youtube said he was going to come up to the site and document the Gathering WHILE it was happening, and then come back after the clean up was complete to see the difference for himself and show video documentation of his findings. 

This first video was recorded at the height was recorded at the height of the Gathering on July 1, 2022. Here you will see footage from inside the forest as the Gathering is going on. 

Then, Travel DNA returns four times after the Gathering to show how well the Rainbow Family cleaned up after themselves.

This second video returns to many of the camps and kitchens at the Gathering and shows you both the DURING and the AFTER pics side by side. 

Keep in mind, the Forest Service never helps the Rainbow Family clean up a Gathering site (as it should be). The attendees work to minimize cleanup, do much of their own, and a dedicated group of volunteers stays in camp, working hard daily to do any restoration work, often turning over compressed soil, and reseeding new paths with local seed. The Forest Service used to print out a report after each Gathering documenting the excellent work done by Gatherers, but stopped supplying these clean up reports in recent years, possibly because Rainbow used them frequently to dispel fears in local communities.

Many thanks to TravelDNA for showing an unbiased local view, and the before and after photos of how it all went down.

The First-Timer’s Practical Guide to the Rainbow Gathering

What is the Rainbow Gathering?
               

                The Rainbow Gathering is an annual free event that happens every summer on and around the week of the 4^th of July on public land in a different National Forest, in the United States of America. These Gatherings have gone on each year since the first in 1972. Since then, numerous regional and international Gatherings regularly occur in American states and in different countries around the globe.

When is the Rainbow Gathering?

                The original annual Rainbow Gathering in the United States takes place officially from July 1-7 every summer, every year. There are American regional Gatherings and International Gatherings that take place other times during the year. That said, many people arrive 2 or 3 weeks ahead of the annual Gathering and set up infrastructure… assign places for Main Meadow, the Parking Lot, Kid Village, the Info Booth, they tap the natural water springs and run water lines, mark trails and dig the first latrines. This period of time is called SEED CAMP.

                After July 7th, CLEAN UP CAMP begins and anyone who remains is expected to participate in cleaning up the Gathering site, to participate in Vision Council (which decides in what region next year’s Gathering will be), or in cooking food for people who are doing those other two things. The idea is help out or move on.

                The focal point of the July 1-7th week is the 4th of July, often called Inter-dependence Day. On this day everyone in camp wakes in Silence and goes about their morning tasks in meditative silence, thinking on the idea of PEACE in this world. When ready, each individual comes to the MAIN MEADOW and joins the others there in silent prayer or meditation or quiet thought and focus on World Peace.

             
               In Kid Village, the children (not in silence) eat and prepare themselves for a parade with face paint and ribbons and streamers and banners and such. Around 11:30 they start heading in a parade toward Main Meadow where everyone has been gathering in silence. When the kids are inside the circle, everyone joins hands, usually in one giant circle, sometimes in concentric circles and begins to OHM together, joining voices and energies and sending it out into the world. When it feels like the OHM is done, people raise their clasped hands into the air and shout out in joy and celebration.

                The rest of the day is usually spent celebrating together in the meadow with drumming, large quantities of watermelon and other fruits, good conversations and music. Dinner Circle is not served in Main Meadow on the 4th of July. Instead, dinner is served that night only out of the individual kitchens.

What is the point of The Rainbow Gathering?

               The Rainbow Gathering is about humans attempting to live in peaceful community with each other, and coming together to collectively pray for World Peace. To that end, participants find ways to plug in and benefit the community, be their best selves, exchange knowledge, make music, and share food. 

               The central action at the Rainbow Gathering takes place on the morning of the 4^th of July, when the people wake in silence and, in silence, come together in the Main Meadow to pray for/meditate on/think about/send out… Peace in this World.

How much does it cost?

                Rainbow Gatherings are unique happenings where people just show up and camp together on lands where it is free to do that. People come, create a village and just live in it, enjoying each other’s company. There is no gate where you have to pay, there are no tickets or wristbands or parking passes. You just come prepared to camp, (minus most of the food you might usually bring camping), show up where it’s happening, hike in, set up a tent and start participating in daily life in the village.

How do I get there?

                In the 2^nd or 3^rd week of June, directions to the site are announced by Spring Council and word goes out by email, on social media, put on information phone lines called Lightlines, etc. The (un)Official invitation, called the “Howdy Folks” is also dispersed. Getting there usually involves going to the nearest town to the chosen Gathering site (which is often a very small town), then driving on paved roads into the forest. Following the directions, you will usually turn onto a gravel/washboard/dirt road at some point and continue driving. If you see a cairn of stones stacked up or a rainbow ribbon in a tree, it likely marks a turn onto a side road. Eventually, after a solitary drive deep into the woods, you will find many other vehicles in one place, on a meadow just off the road.

               Usually, as you arrive, someone volunteering to greet people in the parking lot will walk up to your car, say hello, and welcome you home, and then tell you about the parking situation, ways to drop off stuff near the trailhead if necessary, and the best place to currently park. Parking usually involves driving off the dirt road into another big grassy meadow. There are sometimes bumps to drive over and areas that you might not normally drive your car, but you will find a place to park.

                Some years there is not enough room in the meadows and people park along the road they drove in on, in places where all four tires can be parked off the road. This is legal on National Forest Land. But it sometimes involves hiking much further, past other parked cars, just to get to the trail head.

Do I camp near my car?

                No. Usually not. The Parking Lot is not the Gathering. Most everyone brings a tent and a sleeping bag and a pack to carry it while hiking in, or at the least ways to bundle and carry it all over a distance. At Rainbow we like to hike AWAY from all our cars and many people don’t see a car for days at a time. Unless it’s going to be dark very soon (and you want to spend the first night by or in your car), pack up your stuff to hike it in, and lock up your vehicle.

                 Near the parking area you will find THE TRAIL HEAD. Ask around if you don’t see it.

What does the village at the annual Rainbow Gathering look like?

                From the Parking Lot you will find the Trail Head which is the beginning of the hike into the village. The hike is usually somewhere between a half mile and 1.5 miles, and is usually a rough jeep trail, or a forest path that may involve crossing creeks- stepping from stone to stone or balancing on a log.

                The trail from PARKING to the MAIN MEADOW is called MAIN TRAIL.  Either right at the Trail Head or before it or soon after it, you will find WELCOME HOME, which is usually a camp fire covered by a tarp with nice folks welcoming you home, happy to give you any information you might need.   

      

                From WELCOME HOME, you hike down the MAIN TRAIL all the way “downtown” to the MAIN MEADOW.  Main Meadow is where we all eat dinner every day (come join us!), it’s where Family Council is each day (come join us!), and where we all gather in silence on the morning of the 4th to pray/meditate for peace at Noon, and where we celebrate with each other for the rest of that day.

                Basically, the whole village surrounds (landscape permitting) the Main Meadow. This is a meadow waaaay out in the middle of a National Forest. It’s usually a pretty big meadow surrounded by forest and there are forest paths going out in most directions that wind in and out of the surrounding hills where people camp. 

                Somewhere, usually on Main Trail very near the Main Meadow you will find THE INFO BOOTH, with a crew of well-informed helpful people who can answer your questions, and where you will find a Calendar of Events, a Ride Board, a Message Board, and a colorful painted map of the Village to help you find your way around.

                On the trails and paths surrounding the Main Meadow, and all along the Main Trail, you will find a wide variety of Camps and Kitchens. Camps are groups of people camping together, who have given themselves a name and identity. There are also camps that are just people finding a nice place to put their tent. Kitchens are actual kitchens in the woods that are also public gathering spaces to hang out and meet people, listen to music, and enjoy some tea or coffee.

                Other things you will always find at a Rainbow Gathering is a medical camp called CALM, and a camp called KID VILLAGE which is a kitchen and a camp: a comfortable area for families to camp together that usually has a playground of some sort, kid-friendly meals, and other families to meet and talk to. There is also usually a theater stage called GRANOLA FUNK and a SPIRIT HOUSE, which is a place to remember loved ones who have died.

What exactly are Rainbow Kitchens?

                At its simplest, a Rainbow Gathering Kitchen is an area in the woods where a cook fire is set up, usually with a large grate over it, that will support multiple cookpots. There is usually a very large tarp stretched over the area of the cook fire, which is surrounded by counters (like kitchen counters). Counters are created by lashing two downed logs together, to nearby trees at counter height, and then laying a bunch of short branches across them, xylophone-style and tying them down so that they work as tabletops.  The countertops signal the perimeter of the cooking area. Anyone is allowed to walk into the kitchen area, but that space is usually occupied mostly by the cooks, people doing food prep and people who feel they “belong” to that particular kitchen and hang out at it pretty regularly. If you enter a kitchen area where you are a stranger, be mindful to not get in the way or hinder any cooking or food prep.

                Just outside of the kitchen area itself, there is almost always a second camp fire. This is called the kitchen’s Bliss Fire. Most kitchens have a Bliss Fire that they create as the social area of the kitchen. Bliss Fires are places to hang out and talk, make music, eat food, drink tea, and relax. Bliss Fires are created to keep the cooking area less populated and more workable.

                There are different kinds of kitchens, some small and some large. Some kitchens just make popcorn. Other kitchens make huge quantities of food to serve to hundreds and hundreds of people at Dinner Circle each evening in the Main Meadow. Some kitchens make just tea or just soup or just coffee. There is also a kitchen that serves as the bakery which makes mostly just bread rolls but also occasional pizzas, cakes and cookies. Often kitchens are united by a theme: either people from a particular area of the country, or people who have a similar interest.

How do I EAT at the Gathering?

                At Rainbow, food is provided for you but you need to bring your own items to eat with. Bring a bowl of some type, an eating utensil or two and a water bottle. Bowls with separate compartments are nice for when you are served a soup AND a rice dish if you want to keep them apart, and bowls with lids are handy for when you are not near a dish wash right after eating, or if you want to transport a serving of food to another place. Many people like to bring a cup for coffee or tea (or soup) and again, the type with a lid is nice to keep it hot, and to keep any dirt out. Most people carry a daypack with them every day, in which they keep their dishware. “Bliss” or “Blissware” used to be the name for any spare dishware available for use by people who don’t currently have any, or lost theirs, but the term is morphing into the name for ALL dishware in general.

                Now that you have your dishes, you need to get some food. Most (but not all) kitchens serve breakfast and/or lunch out of the kitchen and after yelling “FREE FOOD IN THE WOODS!!!” they will usually serve food from the kitchen counter. Servers stand on the cooking side of the front counter, with folks lining up in an orderly fashion on the outside of the cooking area.  Before lining up, folks wash their hands at a handwash that is usually ALSO found on the kitchen counter. Never serve yourself at Rainbow. Always allow someone else to serve you to keep things clean. When you get to the front of the line, bring your dish to the outside edge of the serving pot, below its rim, and allow the server to lift a serving of food up over the rim and down onto your plate. Set your plate so that if any food falls, it falls on the ground and not back into the pot. The server should not touch their spoon to your dish, and will shake the spoon until the food falls onto your dish. This keeps people healthy.  It is a practice at Rainbow called “Don’t touch your Thing to the Thing” and is used in serving food, filling water bottles, coffee cups, etc.

                At Dinner time, everybody who wants to come, comes to the Main Meadow to eat dinner together in a large circle. Many of the largest kitchens bring food in large cookpots into the center of the circle and when there is a critical mass of food and diners, camp announcements are made, and the people stand up in a circle, hold hands, become quiet and then “ooooohmmmm” together. Then everyone sits in the circle and gets out their plates, and prepares to eat. At this time, children and nursing mothers are called to the center of the circle to get served before everyone else. Then the servers take the vats of food out of the center to different areas of the circle and move from person to person and serve the people all in the same direction around the circle. No one stands in line, and everyone is served multiple dishes. 

                Many people also bring private food to keep in their tents, to eat as snacks or when they miss a meal. These include things like granola, trail mix, apples, dried fruit, seeds, protein bars, carrots, etc.

                People do NOT create personal cook fires at their campsites unless they are serving the public. Having only public camp fires keeps fires to a minimum and creates more social opportunities.

                After you eat, take your dishes to a nearby kitchen and wash them at the public dishwash station. This often looks like three large buckets sitting close together in a row, which you clean your dishes in, one bucket at a time, left to right… usually warm soapy water in the first bucket, then  a rinse water, and the last is a light bleach water to kill germs.

How do I get Water?

                Most kitchens have clean filtered or boiled water available for your use. It can be found on the counter of the kitchen, facing out toward the public area, in a large (often orange) container with a spigot. Wash your hands at a nearby hand wash, and then open the spigot on the water container and fill your bottle. You will hear people say at Rainbow, “Don’t touch your thing to the thing”. In this case, it means don’t touch your water bottle to the spigot so as not to spread germs. Turn off the spigot when done.

                Water is usually collected from natural springs around the Gathering site that bubble up out of the ground. These springs must be kept pristine so they are usually taped off and nobody camps near them. The spring water is captured and fed into long black pipe tubes that you may see crossing a walking path or going over a meadow. These water pipes are usually gravity fed to either a spigot where it will be marked with signs telling kitchens to filter or boil it for at least ten minutes, OR the pipes will lead to an actual filter and deliver filtered water, OR the pipes will lead to very large water collection containers with signs telling you if it is potable (drink-able) or not.

How can the Kitchens afford to feed thousands of people for FREE??

                Kitchens run on donations of money and food, and they feed anyone who is hungry for free. 

                At dinner circle in Main Meadow each evening, there is a group of minstrels who will walk around the circle with a hat (or three). The Magic Hat is sometimes a big five gallon bucket that says MAGIC HAT on the side. The Magic Hat Parade goes around the circle and anyone who wants to, puts some money in the hat. Usually folks who contribute do so all at one time, not a little money each night. There is no pressure to contribute any money at all. After dinner, people who have volunteered to be on Banking Council will count up the money, write the amount in a public notebook and announce loud and publicly the amount of money collected at that meal. Then, the banking council distributes that money to people who volunteer to work on the SUPPLY CREW.

                Supply folks usually have made agreements with local food suppliers in nearby towns to buy rice and beans and produce etc. in bulk quantities at good prices. They will also acquire some foods at local grocery stores. Magic Hat money is only spent on vegetarian foods, and the food purchased by SUPPLY is then distributed to the kitchens that serve food at Main Circle. The kitchens that do NOT serve at Main Circle may have a private Magic Hat on their own counter for their own kitchen supply, but mostly they rely on supplies the kitchen people bring themselves, or that kind people bring and drop off with them.

 

What do I DO at the Gathering?

                Basically, you just live in the village, in community with other peaceful participants. First timers usually take some time to walk around and figure out the dynamic of living at the Gathering. A visit to the INFO BOOTH is a good way to find something going on. You can check the Calendar for workshops you might want to attend or join Yoga practice or see a show at the Granola Funk stage. You can just walk around the village and spend a little time at each kitchen’s Bliss Fire and check out the vibe at each place. If you have some skill or knowledge to pass on, you can teach it to others by just going to the workshop board and writing it in, along with a good place for people to meet you. In the evenings there is often good music around the fires and some kitchens cook Zuzus for folks, which are any sort of sweet treat made over the fire.

                After spending a little time at a Rainbow Gathering, people begin to realize that the best way to experience the benefits of a Gathering is to find a way to contribute to the good of the community.  You can walk up to any of the bigger kitchens and offer to help cut vegetables or wash cookpots and cooking utensils after a meal. You can gather wood and deliver it to a kitchen’s woodpile. You can offer to dump an old dirty dishwash station and restock it with clean soapy water just by asking if you can, and where to find the supplies. People will be happy to have you do that. You can offer medical skills at the CALM First Aid camp; you can greet people driving in at the Parking Lot; you can help make signs and answer questions at the Info Booth; you can perform at the talent shows at the Granola Funk Theater. If you play an instrument, you can just pull it out at any Bliss Fire and start playing. Find how you can contribute to the good of others and just do it.

How do I go to the toilet at the Gathering?

                At the Rainbow Gathering, Port-a-potty type rentals are not used. Instead, we use what are called by the US ARMY Manual, “trench latrines”. At Rainbow we just call them “Shitters”.

                A Shitter is usually found in the forest behind most major kitchens and back behind some camps away from the main trail. To find one, either ask at a kitchen where one is, or look for small plastic neon ribbon hanging from branches in the trees behind a kitchen and follow one ribbon to the next until you get to a shitter. When you arrive you will see, out in the open (usually) but away from the crowds and sometimes blocked by a tarp, a long trench in the ground, about one foot wide and 8-10 feet long. Next to the trench you will see a big pile of dirt, taken from the trench, a small can on the dirt pile for scooping dirt and a coffee can with a lid which contains toilet paper. You will also see a spray bottle or a milk jug or similar jug which contains bleach water and has holes drilled into its cap. Glance into the shitter area and if someone is there, give them time to finish. When it is your turn, go up to the trench, open the can of toilet paper and get as much as you will need and then recover the can to keep rain off the toilet paper. Then, straddle the trench, drop your drawers, squat down, and do your business into the trench.

                When you are done pooping, clean yourself and drop your toilet paper on the poo. Look for a small can or a spade or something that is nearby to take some of the dirt from the dirt pile and COMPLETELY COVER YOUR waste and toilet paper! This is imperative. Then look into the trench and cover any OTHER waste that you see that is poorly covered. If there is a pile of ash or lime nearby, put that over your waste first, and then finish with dirt. A little duff on top (pine needles/dead leaves) helps break down soil as well.

                Lastly, go to the milk jog/handwash bottle and turn it upside down and shake bleach water onto your hands and rub them together. Replace everything, and head back to camp. Wash your hands again at a kitchen or with antibac gel.

                When you need to pee, PLEASE DO NOT PEE INTO THE SHITTERS. Pee behind a tree or a bush away from tents and kitchens.  For those who need to wipe after pee-ing, please bring any toilet paper you use back to a fire and burn it, or carry a wash cloth in a plastic bag to wipe with. You can wash these cloths each evening at your tent and hang them up to dry. If you leave toilet paper under a bush, you ARE forcing another person to pick up that toilet paper later, because we do NOT leave bits of toilet paper on top of the land after a Gathering.

What do I need to bring to the Rainbow Gathering?

                There are quite a few packing lists on the internet of good things to bring to the Rainbow Gathering, but at the core you need to have something to sleep in… blankets or sleeping bag, and for most people a tent. Some folks sleep in the open by fires or in hammocks but a tent is the common method. You will probably want to have a pack or something to hike this stuff in for about a mile or two. Some folks use bags and carry stuff in their arms. Then, when all set up, most people have a daypack of some sort (school-type backpack/messenger bag type thing) in which they carry a plate and/or bowl, a utensil, a water bottle and usually a cup to drink tea or coffee or soup. You put all this stuff in your bag and carry it with you because you don’t know where the day will take you, or when food will happen, and you may go from morning to night without ever going back to your tent.  Many people bring a HAT because they are outside all day every day. Sunscreen is a good idea. Bring the stuff you would usually bring camping, minus the food and the food prep stuff. Bring musical instruments. Bring money to put in the Magic Hat if you can – you are receiving two or three meals every day. Bring some snack foods to keep in your tent in case you miss a meal here and there.  Bring a trash bag to keep your trash in and hike that out at the end. Bring all good things.

                 

                If you have any health concerns, go to CALM or FIRST AID.

                If you have any questions, go to the INFO BOOTH.  

                When you leave… PACK OUT EVERY SINGLE THING YOU HIKED IN.

Bringing Children to The Rainbow Gathering

BRINGING CHILDREN TO THE RAINBOW GATHERING

Bringing babies and small children to the Rainbow Gathering can be quite a chore, but it is also very rewarding and a wonderful growth experience for both them and yourself. But deep woods camping with your kids can be quite a challenge, too. Being a Rainbow Mom myself, I was asked a few years back to pass along some helpful advice for folks who are bringing their kids for the very first time. The following article sprang from those requests. I wrote it when my eldest was 6 and my twin boys were three and potty-training. They are all officially teenagers now. I’ve been to the annual Gathering with my first when he was an infant and when he was 3, and then brought all three of them many times after that. This article is especially directed at first time Gatherers since a few requests of this type have come my way, but there is lots of good advice for anyone with kids.

Hiking in with Kids

*********************

ARRIVAL AND HIKING IN: When you first arrive at the Gathering, you will be directed to a meadow to park in, (or perhaps along a road). Hiking in with kids often takes a couple loads, so having a partner who can either hang with kids or go get the second load while you stay with the kids is a huge help. Get a baby carrier of some sort to carry your littlest ones in. On the first trip into the site, we tend to bring the kids, the tent and our plates, cups and utensils in the first load, plus whatever else we can manage. My husband and I each will wear a kid on our backs (we have twins). After hiking in, and figuring out where we want to set up camp, I will stay at the tent site with all three kids while the hubby goes back out to the car for another full load. While he is gone I will put the tent up, and perhaps go exploring with the kids to find a meal, fill our water bottles, and locate the nearest shitter.

 

KID VILLAGE: You can camp anywhere with kids, but it is especially nice to camp at Kid Village. It is a drug-free, peaceful area that serves three good kid-friendly meals every day. Kid Village is easy to find. Ask anyone. When you get to Kid Village ask the folks there where there are some good places for your tent. They will direct you. At Kid Village, they usually have a little play area with seesaws and swings made from downed trees and rope. There is also usually a sit-down potty back in the woods there (people just call toilet areas "shitters" so sorry if your child goes home spouting that word!!) For adults, shitters are long trenches that you straddle. It’s nice to wear skirts if you want to have a little privacy cover! Often for the little children there are small deep cylindrical holes dug near the trenches so that the kids don’t have to balance across a trench.

DAILY LIFE: You will want to bring, for each of you, a water bottle, a dish, a spoon, a cup and a day pack to carry everything in while you are away from your tent. If you drink coffee, make your cup a thermal one with a lid. If you can, put a carabiner on your cup as it’s nice to always have it hanging from your belt. Each morning, you will want to pack your daypack for the day and go out wandering. You may head back to the tent for naptime, but you will want to take your dishes, your water bottle, and whatever diapers or things you need for the day with you when you leave your tent in the morning, because sometimes you don’t come back until evening.

For dishes, most people bring just a bowl. But after many years of gathering, I have discovered that the very best bowl is a tupperware or similar style container with a lid. This way, if you can't get to a dishwashing station right away after you eat, you can pop the lid on it and toss it in your bag without dirtying anything inside your bag. We found some plate-shaped containers with three divided sections which is nice if you get soup and something else. It keeps them divided. Plates with lids are also good for bringing food back to your  kids, or for storing things they might not eat right away.

DIAPERS: If you use disposable diapers, I would bring a double thick trash bag (one inside the other, to lessen the smell and strengthen the bag) with some kind of clasp that can be put on and taken off numerous times, to keep your dirties in. You will need to hike this (very) heavy bag back to your car at the end, as there are no trash stations inside the gathering. Everyone carries their own trash out. Depending on how long you stay, a full bag of dirty diapers can be one whole load! With twins, and ten days in the Gathering, our bag was very large and difficult to manage. If you use cloth diapers, I have seen people wash them out in five gallon buckets and hang them on clotheslines hung between trees. You can get a 5 Gallon bucket for about 3 dollars at large hardware stores. Bring your own clothesline as well. Kid Village has had a communal diaper wash area in the past but I don’t think it is a regular thing at all.

FINDING FOOD / DINNER CIRCLE: At Rainbow the food that is cooked in the kitchens is free for all, and is purchased with donations to the Magic Hat that lives on the desk at the Information Booth, and is also carried around every evening at Dinner Circle in a musical parade. Dinner circle happens every evening in the Main Meadow. Most larger kitchens will bring their cooked food down to the dinner circle and serve there. Bring your dishes! People form a large circle, do a group “Om”, and sit down in circle to be served by the food servers. Pregnant or nursing Mamas and children (and adults who are helping children) are asked to come to the center of the circle before the food is served to get first dibs. Don’t be shy. Come forward when it is announced and get your kid a plateful of good food! Breakfast and lunch are often served out of individual kitchens. Kid Village is a good place to find steady outpouring of food, and if your kid misses a meal, they can direct you to fixings for a peanut butter sandwich or a carrot or something. That said, most people like to bring snacks from home to keep in their tent to keep the kids happy. Dried fruit, nut butters, carrots, apples, celery, jerky and granola are things many people tend to bring to keep in their tent.

Playground at Kid Village

NAPS: For small babies, it’s not common, but I have seen people bring a playpen and hike it in. That way you can set the baby down somewhere clean for a while. You might consider bringing one and leaving it in the car. Then you can decide if you want to hike it in or not. A lightweight baby floor-chair might be a simpler idea, or perhaps a Moses basket? I have also seen people bring those bouncy chairs that you hang from a door frame, and tie them to a low tree branch so baby can jump. 

When I brought my first born to his first gathering at about seven months old, instead of a playpen, I put a blanket in a cardboard box I got from a kitchen! Having walls is nice for a new crawler. A good ground-blanket made out of something with a water resistant bottom layer is nice to have. After realizing the cardboard box was nice to have but not the best choice, the next time I brought a kid’s pop-up toy backyard play tent. They pack down tiny and can be used to lay the baby down to sleep if you are out wandering away from your camp and want to take a break, or give him/her some shade to rest in. We also napped our eldest in that for a couple years. It was handy, and kept us from having to go and sit quietly outside our own tent for 3 hours every single day so they could nap. We used two toy tents  to nap our twins separately during the afternoon, because if they napped together, they would just play in the tent and not sleep.

NECESSITIES: You should have water bottles you can carry around for your family. You can fill them up at any kitchen. Look for a giant cooler on the kitchen counter with a spigot facing out toward the public walk-up area. Bring sun block, wide brimmed children’s hats, bug spray and sun glasses. We also bring LED flashlights for our littlest boys who will of course want to have one of their own when they see ours. They can accidentally leave it on for hours and it won’t use up the batteries. Sandals that can get wet or water shoes are great if there is a stream that can be played in. When the twins were three years old, and liked to wander, we brought masking tape and stuck some tape on the backs of their shirts saying “IF FOUND PLEASE RETURN TO INFO” where we were camped! When the kids got older we made sure each kid had his own daypack to keep track of his things.

TENT SLEEPING: Also bring warm sleeping bags. It gets down to 40 at night at high elevations. We always bring thermal underwear to sleep in, both for us and for them. When our son was a little baby, and we worried about the safety of sleeping bags, we slept him in a down-filled, winter outdoor snow suit, wearing a hat, with a regular blanket tossed over him. That way I wasn't worried about losing him down inside our sleeping bag or about him scooting out into the cold at night. Beware of using any kind of gas heater inside your tent as the fumes inside a closed tent can be deadly.

NURSING BABIES: Another idea I had which turned out to be SUCH A GOOD IDEA, was my homemade nursing shirts. While still at home, I got a couple long-sleeved thermal shirts at the thrift store. I cut vertical slits in the front for nursing, and when I was at the Gathering I would wear these shirts underneath my regular shirt. The benefit is that on cold days, and ESPECIALLY on cold nights, I could lift my outer shirt to nurse without having to expose the sides of my torso to the very cold air. It was SO much warmer for me, and easier to doze when nursing in the middle of the night half outside of a sleeping bag! These shirts might not be so necessary for eastern Gatherings, but most western Gatherings can get pretty cold at night.

SAFETY:  When it comes to safety for my kids at Gatherings I have always had a firm rule for them: NEVER go inside someone else’s tent unless I give specific permission to do so. Even if it is the tent of another child they are playing with, I have them come and ask me first. Secondly, I give my kids permission to be rude and walk away if their instincts tell them that a person is odd or not to be trusted. If they find themselves in a conversation with an adult and their gut tells them something is off, or the person seems weird, they have permission to just be rude and say, “I have to go!” and to just turn and run off. I don’t want their desire to be polite override their intuition that a person is unsafe. 

Serving breakfast at Kid Village

COMMUNICATION FOR OLDER KIDS: As our kids got older, and wanted to go off and explore on their own, we went out and got a good set of FRS radios, one for each of us, and some extra batteries. These are fairly long range radios. For the kids we put them on lanyards and hung them around their necks, and sometimes they put them in their daypacks (although they sometimes would miss our calls if they did this). A belt loop holster would be a good choice as well. This way, if they want to stay out longer than agreed, or ask a question, they can reach you and it gives them some more freedom, and the parents some freedom as well! (Also, they are good for letting the other party know that pizza is just coming out at The Ovens and that you should hurry on over!)

LASTLY: Have a blast! Rainbow Gatherings are a wonderful way to get you and your kids to step away from the screens for a while and get back in touch with each other and with the wonder of nature. My kids, who are now all three teenagers will tell you, going to Gatherings have been some of the best times they have ever had, growing up.

-Info Karen- (Mom to three exuberant boys) 

Fox 13 TV News - 2003 UTAH Rainbow Gathering - Wasatch National Forest

Crews clean up in wake of Rainbow Family Gathering
Fox 13 News - Salt Lake City, Utah

CLICK HERE to Watch News Video

"Today the Forest Service showed us how well the Rainbow Family Cleanup Crews did at cleaning up the area"

"There were folks sorting it so it could be recycled and taken to recycling centers. And all the garbage has been removed. There's actually less garbage here than when it started."

"In addition to taking out all they had brought in the Forest Service said the Rainbow Crews did a lot of work to rehab the 1300 acres of land they were camping on.

When I was out here, I saw folks with rakes that were going along, raking the trails, fluffing it back up... I think it's rebounded QUITE WELL as far as vegetation."

"They did what they said they would do.
They cleaned up after themselves.
They left the area in as good of a condition as it could be."

"You cannot tell they were actually even out here, in some areas."

"And the forest service says, after examining the area, they don't see any need for them to come up here and do ANY other work."

One Year Later - OREGON 2017 Rainbow Gathering

""C" here from John Day, Oregon! 

Took a beautiful little hike today up at Flagtail Meadow, last year’s nationals gathering site! I have to say, the main meadow is looking GORGEOUS! It was spitting snow up there but everything looked untouched. Can’t even tell that a gathering took place up there, no trash and even the parking lot is full of grass! I didn’t expect it to look as good as it did! You all are amazing!
I took many pictures of the whole area!

Thanks so much for coming to Oregon and allowing this local
to spend time with you all! 

(click on photo to expand)

We can’t wait for the next one! 

Lovin’ you!"

We Love You - A Rainbow Gathering Documentary

We Love You is an excellent 40 minute long documentary film directed by Jonathan Kalafer and produced by New Jersey Pictures, filmed at the 2008 Rainbow Gathering in Wyoming.
(Link Below)

See the Documentary by clicking here.

HOW GATHERINGS WORK - The Mini-Manual

THE RAINBOW GATHERING
MINI-MANUAL

How to put on a gathering and keep it healthy. 

Suggested Wisdom culled from Years of Experience 

also known as
Trial and Error 

Welcome Home!

If you are new to Rainbow Gatherings, this manual can help you understand the basics of how things are usually done.

We have a tribal anarchy here, where we take care of each other because we recognize that we are all One. The gathering works because each of us takes the responsibility for doing what needs to be done and for teaching new folks. We strive to share, love, and respect each other without anyone getting hurt, physically or emotionally. Many hands working together make a strong tribe.

This Mini-Manual continues to evolve, collecting our experience and wisdom into one place. Your contributions are welcome.

Our Name

Any gathering that bears the name “Rainbow” is a completely free, non commercial event. There is no admission fee. All supplies are donated by gatherers, or paid for with money donated to the Magic Hat. No money is exchanged within the Gathering. This frees us from legal and licensing entanglements, and protects our Constitutional right to gather on public lands. Our Gatherings are also open to all peaceful people. There are no invitations or memberships. No one is turned away, and only violent behavior will get you expelled. If you have a belly button, you can be a Rainbow. You become one simply by deciding you are one, and your voice is then equal to any other Rainbow’s, be it your 1st gathering or your 40th.

Site Scouting

Experienced scouts teach new ones as they inspect many potential sites discovered from topographical maps, aerial photos, Google Earth, and following leads from local people in the chosen area. They coordinate thru the regional focalizers, and by attending Scouting Rendezvous in early spring.

Site Criteria

A Gathering site should have: Good water – deep springs or well protected surface water – enough to fill the drinking, cooking, and washing needs of hundreds or thousands of people. They should be at a distance from the main camp, to prevent contamination. Open meadows – for councils, workshops, pageants, and frisbees. Keep meadows clear of individual camps. Firewood – A good supply of dry dead wood lying on the ground for fires. Parking space – large enough for several hundred cars and vans, within reasonable walking and shuttle distance – but separate from the Gathering proper. For the young children, elderly, and handicapped, the walk in should not be too long and strenuous. Alternate parking should be arranged for the physically challenged. Only supply and emergency vehicles should be allowed into the main Gathering site. Only one road – or as few as possible. You will want one road for ambulances and heavy supplies, but you don’t want easy access for car stereos, beer coolers, and a rowdy party scene. Conversely, don’t set the site at the end of a dead end road, and set a trap for yourselves. Place it on a thru road so there is both a front and a back gate. No one site will have all these in equal abundance – for instance, good springs are often on a steep mountainside far from a broad flat place good for parking.
Look for a balance for all these needs.

Howdy Folks 

When the site has been chosen, a Howdy Folks notice is sent to local focalizers and posted on online Rainbow websites, Facebook, and other computer networks. This notice contains verbal instructions for getting to the site and a map. It also has phone numbers for getting information while on the way. The focalizers make copies, and send them out to their mailing lists. They also may distribute them at local Rainbow and New Age events.

Seed Camp

At least a week before a Gathering is to start, a dedicated group of people arrives early to find and develop water sources, set up the first kitchen, dig the first latrines, and inform the local Forest Service of our impending arrival. They design the layout of the actual gathering by developing trails, selecting a Main Circle site, marking parking areas and setting up Welcome Home. A co-operations council and banking council are set up to address the needs of Seed Camp. This is a time when you can work intensely with a few other people and form some deep friendships.

Please do not show up for Seed Camp unless you are willing to join in the work. 

From this seed grows the flower of our Gathering

The Silent Circle 

for Prayer and Healing 

On the 4th of July, from daybreak until high noon, the camp is hushed. There is no talking at all, and no playing of drums. It is a wonderful exercise in communication without words. Throughout the morning, people gather in Main Meadow to pray/meditate for world peace and the healing of our Earth. This is a time of profound energy. The Children's Parade enters the circle and then the silence is broken with a resonant OM, by all the people, shortly before noon. Please respect the morning silence. There is plenty of time in life for noise.

The Forest Service 

We cooperate with the rangers of the USDA Forest Service in doing the job they were hired for: protecting this land. The local rangers (resource officers) are notified of a Gathering’s coming no later than the first few hours of seed camp. We honor their ecological concerns for a site, and we treat them with respect knowing they became rangers because they love the land as we do. In the past, rangers have given Family members valuable tips about sites and water, and provided us seeds for reseeding and trees for us to plant. Remember though that some forest rangers are Law Enforcement Officers (LEOs) that have the power to arrest you if are breaking the law.

Wildlife 

This is the Cathedral of Nature that we gather in, and we keep it that way. We disturb the environment as little as we can. Riverbanks and wetlands are vulnerable ecosystems. Plants of older phyla – like mosses and ferns – are especially fragile. Cactus is more vulnerable than you might think. We might be walking thru animal’s hunting grounds. Camp and walk on the forest floor and the dry meadow, not in wet areas. Remember that insects are also wildlife. Give an anthill its space, and before you throw wood into a fire, look to see if it’s home to some bugs. Never use insecticides. Thiamine, B-complex vitamins, citronella, and raw garlic can help keep biting critters away.
DON’T LITTER. Birds can pick up filter tips and choke. Broken glass is a danger to all creatures’ feet. Pick up trash left behind others. Use things where they lie. The more you move, the more you will have to put back. Hang tarps from trees, make structural members out of branches – rather than cutting and setting posts. Never cut a living tree, or break things off. Use only dead wood found lying on the ground. Stripping bark hurts birch and aspen trees. Pick one place for the swimming hole, and don’t go into a stream anywhere else. Leave beaver ponds alone. Don’t go near any place baby animals are kept. The way animals defend their young is beastly. Make a few trails and stay on them. Don’t crush underfoot a whole area. Place trails over ground that will stay high and dry after a rain. Form a trail just by trampling, and a circle area by tushwhacking (everybody sitting down), rather than by cutting plants down. The Earth is our mother We must take care of her.

Latrines 

If you gotta go, go to a latrine. If you don’t know where one is, ask at the nearest kitchen. Don’t wait until the last minute to find one because there may be some walking involved. Know where the nearest one is before you go to sleep at night. Never leave waste unburied. Flies will find it, then they will land on kitchen food, then people will eat that food and get sick. Irresponsible disposal of human waste can easily create a very sick camp

How to dig, use, and maintain a shitter:
Find a place over 300 feet from streams or springs, and never uphill from a spring at any distance. Mark a trail to it with signs and ribbons. Dig a deep, narrow trench, one you can straddle with your feet. A foot wide and 4 feet deep is the best. Keep the soil in a neat pile for fill-in later. Cut out sod, and preserve it for replacement over the filled hole. If on a hill, dig the trench crossways to the slope and place the pile uphill from it to prevent a washout if it rains. Avoid having an open trench. Build a solid, fly-tight cover with lids. Wash these covers daily. Keep lime, or ashes from a nearby fire, in a can nearby. Sprinkle it over your “donation”, to make it unattractive to flies, then add some dirt to completely cover it. Large coffee cans with plastic lids can keep toilet paper dry and clean.
Wash your hands after using the latrine. Maintain a plastic jug nearby, with a lid, and water with 1 percent chlorine bleach inside. Check latrines daily. When they are full to within 18 inches of the top, fill the remainder with the saved dirt, mound the dirt over it to allow for settling, and dif another latrine. Inform the nearest kitchen where the new shitter is. Digging a latrine is a most holy task. You haven’t been to a gathering until you have dug a shitter.

Water 

Our water sources are our lifeblood, and they must be protected from the very first day that people are on the site. The safest drinking water comes from springs. Streams or ponds with a good constant flow can also be used. Any water source for designated for drinking is marked off with strings or ribbons, and no campsites or latrines should be uphill from them or within 300 feet. People stay away from them unless involved in obtaining water.
Never pour liquid wastes into a water source, or on the ground nearby. Instead, dig a gray water pit at least 300 feet away.
Never use soap in a water source. Soaps will pollute the water. Take a bucket at least 300 feet away to wash. Even bio-degradable soap like Dr. Bonner’s can kill fish and microorganisms.
Never dip a canteen or a cup into a water source – use a faucet on a pipe or a common dipper instead.
Drink only water that you know is safe, that has been scientifically tested, adequately filtered, or boiled. Even the purest looking water can contain micro-organisms that can cause severe intestinal illness. To be absolutely safe, water should reach a rolling boil for at least a few minutes.

Fire 

On any site fire is a danger. There may be fallen and dead timber, and dry grass in meadows. Don’t throw matches or cigarette butts on the ground. Have a shovel and a bucket of water near your fire at all times. No personal fires. Go to fires by kitchens or in boogie pits. Use only dead and dry wood found on the ground for fuel. Never throw plastics or synthetic materials into a fire. This creates toxic fumes. Select a safe location. Watch for overhanging snags of deadwood. Keep your fire low – sparks can fly far; even live trees can catch fire. Beware of root fires. Line the inside and bottom of your firepit with rocks. Scrape the ground free of loose duff, leaves, and grass for at least one foot around your pit. Watch your fire at all times. The wind can rise or shift directions quickly. Stray sparks can bring disaster. Embers can flame up again in a wind. Don’t leave your camp behind until your fire is completely out and cold. NO FIREWORKS! A Fire Watch crew walks the camp to make sure all fires are properly tended., and that buckets of water are nearby. We all help them out by being watchful ourselves. Smokey says, “Only YOU can prevent forest fires”

Rain 

Expect it. And hey, it takes rain to make a rainbow. These can be times when people gather close together under tarps and have intimate conversations and good times.
Don’t build anything without thinking about how water will run off it.
Do not place your tent in a low spot or gully. Dry riverbeds may flash flood. Don’t blaze trails in ravines that will become muddy quagmires under thousands of feet when it rains – keep trails on rises. That little brook you’re stepping over now can become a turbulent river in a thunderstorm. Put fire pits on rises or sloping ground, and provide a drainage gap. Cover tents with tarps, and tie their ends close to the ground so wind doesn’t catch them like a sail. Keep kitchen supplies under cover. Cover bulletin boards with clear plastic. Remember: water runs downhill.

Recycling 

We don’t mix all our garbage and trash together, and make the local landfill landfull. We separate our refuse, recycle whatever we can, and dispose of the rest in a nature-friendly way. People should take their own trash home with them as much as possible, thereby spreading out the task of refuse removal, and not overtaxing the cleanup crew. For trash that you see on the ground and pick up, there are recycling stations at every kitchen, and at places with many passers by around the gathering. Each has seven containers – for: metal that is bought as scrap, like aluminum, copper, iron and steel. glass of any kind. (These first two are taken to a local collection point.) paper that we burn ourselves. plastics and other materials that can’t be burned without making toxic odors. This goes into plastic bags, to be taken to a dumpster or landfill at least 100 miles from the Gathering. Organic matter, food waste that will eventually go into a compost pit. lost and found, to be left for its owner until the Gathering ends or brought to the Lost and Found at the Info Booth. free bin, stuff offered that someone could still take and use. Leftovers from this are taken to a dumpster or landfill. The Three R’s: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

शन्ति सेना

Shanti Sena  

the Peace Keepers 

We call our security system Shanti Sena. This means “peace army” in Sanskrit, and this term was first used by Mahatma Gandhi’s followers. If a problem develops, calling “Shanti Sena” loudly will bring assistance. (You can yell "Help" as well.  In truth, everyone is a peace keeper. We all watch out for each other. Often a group can prevail in a conflict where a single person can’t. Some of the Family are professionally trained in conflict resolution, and they can be summoned for help. We respond with non-violent methods only. Talking is tried before physical restraint. This talking is with compassion and respect. If physical intervention can’t be avoided, it is done gently without inflicting injury. We lighten the burden on Shanti Sena by: watching out for our own valuables, camping in groups with others, and watching the camps of our neighbors when they are away.

People who focalize Shanti-Sena and have lots of experience with conflict resolution can often be seen walking around camp with radios and earpieces. If you have an emergency, feel free to speak to them.

That said, We are ALL Shanti Sena.

Neighborhoods 

Neighborhoods make the Gathering more fun with the people they introduce you to, and impact the ecology less. All camp needs – such as latrines, water, child watching, or security – can be focalized around a neighborhood fire. When you arrive, look around and find a concentration of tents to set up your own near. Kitchens are some of the places neighborhoods form around, as well as special areas like C.A.L.M. or Kid Village. People from a certain state or city often camp together. Contact the people in them, get to know them. Lone campsites are easy targets for thieves, and are surprises for people 4 walking thru the woods in the dark. Neighborhoods provide the only security for when you are not in your camp. Love your neighbor.

Main Meadow 

Main Meadow is the epicenter of the Gathering, located in an open field large enough to accommodate many people. It is where we have Dinner Circle every evening and various prayers, celebrations, and events, including our Silent Meditation for World Peace on the morning of July 4th. There should be no tents or fires here. The meadow is for all, and its energy should be kept clear and pure. Trading Circle should not be in sight. Main Meadow can get loud at times, as well as completely silent. Coordination with Kid Village and C.A.L.M. about the three places’ relative locations is a good idea.

Dinner Circle 

Every evening kitchens from all over the Gathering bring food to Main Meadow for Dinner Circle. A circle is formed and then an OM is said, a few brief announcements are made, and everybody sits down and waits for servers going around the circle to bring food to them. Before the servers serve to those sitting in the circle, children and nursing mothers are invited (parents can help) to the center of the circle to get food first, so that the children eat well and plenty. All food served is vegetarian. Bring your own dish and eating utensils, and some water to drink. A person often precedes the servers with bleach water for washing hands. The Magic Hat also goes around the circle, offering you the opportunity to contribute money for food and supplies.

We are a circle, within a circle with no beginning, and never ending

Councils 

We gather in council circles to voice and to creatively resolve the issues and concerns of our ever-evolving Gathering. Participation in a council requires a focused mind, patience, respect, a listening ear, and an open mind – as we make decisions on how to best serve the Gathering. There are councils on all workings of the Gathering, including Seed Camp, Co-operations, C.A.L.M., Shanti-Sena, Fire Watch, Vision Council, individual kitchens, and planning regional gatherings.

Vision Council 

At Vision Council we share our dreams and visions of the future of the Rainbow Family. Much of the focus is on determining the location for next year's Gathering. The council starts at noon on July 7th, and continues until sunset. If no consensus is reached the first day, it convenes at noon every day thereafter until consensus on a region for the next Annual Gathering is achieved. This can sometime take a few days, so be prepared to be patient.

Council Process 

Rainbow councils are an open process where everyone is invited to listen and speak. We sit in a circle and pass a feather (or other object) around from person to person. Each person speaks in turn while holding the feather without being interrupted. The holder has the right to admit or reject input from others. Other people in the circle talking across to each other do not aid the discussion. If there is too much noise, anyone can call, “Focus” to restore attention to the speaker. Sometimes council can be more open, with the feather placed at the center, trusting that everyone can recognize their perfect moment to speak. At other times it is helpful to have a facilitator to keep an impartial focus. Remarks should be stated as briefly as possible. Nothing destroys the process more than making long-winded orations without regard for others waiting for their turn to speak.

Consensus 

Consensus is how we govern ourselves. This means coming to solutions acceptable to everyone, not just a majority. While discussing issues, if a resolution starts to seem clear, a speaker may call for consensus by silence. If no one objects to the proposal, then consensus has been reached. Those who have objections may block consensus, which causes council dialogue to resume. A block should only be made from a place of clarity and good conscience. Egos should definitely be checked at the door. Council can be both rewarding and exhausting.

Focalizers 

Focalizers are any people willing to be conduits of energy and information. They focus people’s efforts on tasks that need to be done. They are not like leaders in Babylon. They are not placed over us; nor elected for terms. They are followed because the people trust them, feel they have wisdom, find their own feelings expressed thru them, and expect success from following them. Their election continues on thru every day. They are simply not followed anymore if the people lose their confidence. Anyone can be a focalizer to whatever degree one chooses. If you see something that isn’t being done, take the initiative and do it. But volunteering for too much can burn you out, so get help and lovingly delegate. Sometimes there are people waiting to be useful, with hidden talents.
A good focalizer respects consensus, avoids egotism, empowers people, and allows them to learn, even at the price of inefficiency.

+ C.A.L.M. +

Our Medical Center

The Center for Alternative Living Medicine C.A.L.M is our healing arts center.
If you are injured or ill, come here, especially if it’s something contagious. The people here can also provide health information and preventative aids such as condoms. Natural, alternative medicine is encouraged here. Treatment that gets to the root of dis-ease is sought, not just temporary remedies. C.A.L.M. always need donations of medical supplies, antibiotics, herbs, tinctures, and homeopathic remedies. It needs doctors, nurses, EMT’s, and therapists of all kinds – to volunteer on a continuous and on-call basis. Healers and workshop leaders can also plug in here.

Information Booth

The Information Booth is the communication center. All councils and focalizers report here daily with announcements and needs. Anyone with anything noteworthy to share should come here so they can pass the word. Lost and Found and Rumor Control are here. Printed handouts on a variety of subjects can be distributed here. Maps, ride boards, and bulletin boards are nearby, as well as a Calendar of Workshops and Events. There is a Volunteer Here board for people seeking places to plug in and help. People needing assistance can make their needs known here. It is also a place to report a large emergency concern.

Co-operations 

Getting things done

Most day to day business is focalized thru Co-operations, which meets several times a day. Workers and people with special knowledge are found, tools and supplies are located, those who have are connected with those who have not. Every area of service checks in with Co-operations daily. Work crews can use this as a base for organization. Plans for new camps and construction should be communicated to here, so that conflicts over land use and campsites can be avoided. If you would like to plug in somewhere, come to a Co-operations council. You will find a place to volunteer.

The Magic Hat 

and Banking Council

The Magic Hat is the fund-raising instrument for any Rainbow event.
The Gathering is available for free to everyone, but the supplies needed to keep everyone well-fed and healthy cost money. This includes food, bleach, toilet paper, medical supplies, batteries for Shanti Sena radios, and gasoline for shuttle and supply vehicles, among more. By giving generously to the Magic Hat, each of us helps to provide for all. The Magic Hat appears at Dinner Circle every evening (sometimes in the form of a real hat, sometimes as a 5- gallon bucket), and is sometimes carried thru the camp by a parade of minstrels. The rest of the time it sits on the counter at the Information Booth. Be wary of individuals with containers claiming to be the “magic hat”. Some individual kitchens (like Kid Village) have their own “magic hats”, which are legitimate, but these only support those single kitchens.

The money in the Magic Hat is stewarded by a Banking Council of at least three persons. No money is given out except by consensus of this council. The usual place this council meets is out in the middle of Main Meadow shortly after Dinner Circle has been served and the people present have finished eating. This is the time that requests for money can be presented.

Main Supply

How we get our food

 Food and materials bought with the Magic Hat are pooled and distributed here. Individuals can bring donations here as well. This allows for money-saving bulk purchases and helps cut down waste. Every day a Kitchen Council is held with representatives from all kitchens. This council produces a shopping list for the supply runners. No one except this council decides what is bought. The runners buy the items on the list and nothing that is not on the list. After returning, they give receipts and change to the Banking Council, and then Main Supply has a meeting where the supplies are given out to runners from the individual kitchens. Only kitchens that bring food to the main Dinner Circle get food from Main Supply. To avoid suspicions of favoritism, people working Main Supply do not work in individual kitchens. Main Supply cannot be a kitchen itself, serving out food to individuals, and people working Main Supply do not eat from the supplies directly.

Kitchens 

Food is obtained from Supply, paid for with contributions to the Magic Hat, and prepared by the helping hands of hundreds of volunteer choppers, slicers, peelers, fire tenders, stirrers, and chefs. Serving styles and times are up to the individual kitchen councils and focalizers – some serve all day, some have specified meal times, some send all their food to Main Circle. Some offer only specialized fare like popcorn or coffee. Food sent to Main Circle is completely vegetarian. Some kitchens may choose to serve meat at their own locations, but meat is hard to preserve in the woods, and may adversely affect those used to only vegetarian fare.

Kitchens are kept CLEAN. There is no faster way to spread disease than to serve contaminated food. Enclose kitchens with railings, and place hand washing stations at entrances.

Volunteers in kitchens wash their hands before working with food. They don’t work with a communicable disease. They use only clean knives and chopping boards. Work surfaces are washed with bleach water before and after use.

Everybody brings their own bowl, cup, and spoon to a Gathering, and washes them thoroughly after each use. Food is served by servers with designated tools.

People do not serve themselves with their own utensils. Supplies are not stored on the ground, but up on pallets, shelves, or logs. They are covered with a tent or tarp, for protection from the sun and rain. They aren’t placed near anthills.

Pets are kept out of kitchens, as they get into food and knock things over.

Every kitchen has a dishwashing station with four containers (usually standard 5 gallon buckets): one for scraping into; one with hot soapy water, for washing; one with clear water, for rinsing; and one with water containing one or two capfuls of chlorine bleach or vinegar for disinfecting. The water is watched and changed regularly. Pots and pans should not sit around dirty for hours, attracting the insect life.

Compost (garbage) pits are dug nearby for vegetable wastes. They are filled in gradually, like latrines. When the contents come up to within a foot of the surrounding ground level, they are filled in completely. A mound of dirt is left on top, to level out by itself as the garbage underneath decomposes and settles.

Waste water goes into grey water pits. It is not just poured out on top of the ground. If the flies start to have their own gathering around your compost pit, then it’s time to cover some of it up. Kitchens constantly need firewood and water. Many make a habit of bringing a piece of wood whenever they visit a kitchen. Others, upon seeing an empty water container, will fetch water without being asked.

Kid Village 

Kid Village is a place for children to find other children, parents to meet other parents, and all to share and grow with the joys of educating our children. You can camp there, or just visit once in a while. It facilitates meeting the needs of pregnant and nursing moms. It has shade, playthings, a kitchen, and people who enjoy and are good at playing with children. Kitchen help, musicians, storytellers, and game leaders are always welcome. It should be located at a distance from Main Meadow and any boogie pits to minimize noise at night.

Front Gate 

When you volunteer for Front Gate, you get to see it all come in. The parking lot crew greets the world with hugs and information. They maintain an organized and secure parking area, and make an around the clock commitment that involves: greeting new arrivals and giving out information, traffic control, security, auto repair, maintaining a kitchen and fire circle, and an active Shanti Sena. Front Gate and Welcome Home are frequently understaffed, so setting aside a morning or evening to volunteer is always appreciated. Alcohol abuse needs special attention in this area.

Bus Village 

Bus Village is for those who come to the Gathering in campers or live-in busses or vans. It is a community of its own, with kitchens, councils, work crews, and Shanti Sena. It is a place where electric entertainment is allowed and appreciated. Bus Village people are well situated to help with Front Gate and Welcome Home.

Welcome Home Center 

The Welcome Home center is set past the front trailhead , at the end of the shuttle ride (if there is one) and where most of the hike in has been completed. It provides a place for people to rest from their journey in. They may be offered tea, coffee, or water. They are given printed copies of Raps 107 and 701, guidance toward good places to camp, and informed of conditions peculiar to the current Gathering.

Shuttles 

Shuttles are large rugged busses or flatbed trucks, vans or even Uhaul type trucks, that can provide almost continuous service that is safe and reliable, from parking areas to the trail head where vehicles are no longer allowed. Drivers need relief regularly. Riders should help with gas and repair expenses.

Trading Circle 

Barter and the mutual exchange of crafts and like are encouraged. One thing exchanged for another thing, or for a service performed. Selling anything inside the Gathering is not acceptable. Using money means we could be defined as a commercial event by the Forest Service, which would complicate our relationship with them. Trading new, commercially produced goods is in bad taste. The gathering is for sharing hearts and the works of our hands, not for making profit and all the funky energy that comes with doing this.
There is a long-standing consensus that Trading Circle not be directly on the main trail, where the people it draws can block traffic on the trail, and not in sight of Main Meadow and its sacred ceremonies.

Workshops 

Workshops for learning can be taught by anyone on any subject. Large meadows or comfortable shady spots can be designated for them. There is a workshop board at Information for posting times and places. Typical workshop subjects include yoga, massage, nutrition, plant walks, elders telling hip-story, and sister/brother/brother-sister circles.

Technology 

We welcome non-polluting and low energy technology. Hand tools and alternative energy devices – such as solar or wind – are appropriate to a Gathering. Electric generators, chain saws, and gasoline powered tools are not. No boom boxes! Artificial sound carries far in the woods, and forcing your own musical tastes on others is not cool. The Gathering is a great opportunity to get away from your phone, and connect with people heart to heart, instead of virtually.

Photography 

Always ask permission before taking a picture of any other person. This includes groups as well as individuals. Most people will say yes, but no means NO. Excessive picture taking can make people tense and kill spontaneous moments of bliss.

Music 

We make our own music here, and everyone is welcome to join. Acoustic instruments only, please. Stereos, boom boxes, and radios can douse a creative spark in others. Share your song with us, even if you are not used to performing. In a group of musicians, listen and blend instead of dominating – especially in a drum circle. Harmony is the point. If you start music, respect the other musicians within earshot who have already started, especially if you are drumming. (Drums can carry like a rock ‘n’ roll amp.) Don’t try to compete with them, go over and join them instead. If it’s late at night or early after sunrise, be conscious of folks nearby who may be sleeping. Musical harmony plays with social harmony.

Nudity 

Clothing is optional at the Gathering. We accept people and their bodies without judgment or shame. Many people like the feeling of freedom, or like to be cool on a hot day. Nudity is natural.
Nudity is NOT an invitation for sex or a “feel” or a comment. Be cautious of sunburn and poison ivy if you go naked. It’s a good idea to at least wear sandals. We go naked only inside the gathering, and not in any place visible from a public highway.

Love and Loneliness 

Many in our Family have found deep and satisfying relationships with other Family members. Few of these sprang into being at their first Gatherings. The freely given affection, the easy conversation, and the sudden promise of openness here cause many to start searching for their one and only, to build up big expectations, and to be disappointed.

Meet people by volunteering and working with them, by making music and theater with them, by joining them in workshops and spiritual exercises. You will see them in all their moods, and really get to know them. Be patient and give time for friendships to unfold and grow by themselves. Don’t measure them against your expectations. The Spirit will show you your soul mates, if you let it. Many people will be put off by sudden propositioning, and not everyone is in the same state of wanting that you are. Remember, if the other person says no, but you do anyway, that is rape, which is a crime among us as well. We are all worthy of equal respect.

Intoxicants 

What you use is your own business. What you abuse is often everyone’s business. It has long been a tradition in our Family to discourage alcohol at a Gathering. Alcohol energy can easily threaten. We respect a person’s right to drink, but we do not respect difficult drunks. The primary reason we gather is for peace. Some intoxicants can have mind-expanding and sacred uses. However we actively discourage giving powerful psychedelic drugs like LSD to people who don’t know what they’re taking or who don’t have the experience and mental stability to handle them. Remember also there’s no guarantee on what somebody you don’t know gives you on the trail. If in doubt, spit it out. If you observe an overdose, freakout, or other drug caused problem, contact Shanti Sena and C.A.L.M. immediately.

Pets 

A Gathering is not a good place for a pet. Dogs fight other dogs, kill wildlife, get into food, and shit everywhere. Sudden changes in their environment spook and stress them to the point where they snap and bite. We know, of course, “not your dog”. So-o-o-o-o ... if you must bring your pet, be responsible. Keep them under constant watch 24 hours a day, on a leash, out of kitchens, meal circles, and councils, and away from wildlife. Clean up and bury their droppings. Bring a tag for your dog's collar that you can write with the name of your closest camp or kitchen on, and your cell phone number, just in case.

Hug Patrol 

The Hug Patrol covers the Gathering to insure that nobody who needs a hug goes without one. You might be stopped and asked for a hug anytime, so you should be prepared to give them your cooperation... if you wish. (Nobody is obliged to receive one if they feel uncomfortable.)

Joke Toll Booth 

The Joke Toll Booth sometimes appears on a main traffic artery in the Gathering. All who approach it are required to tell one joke before they may pass. The jokes collected go to help the merrimentally challenged find gainful enjoyment in our community.

Regional Gatherings 

In addition to the North American Gathering from the 1st to the 7th of July, there are many regional gatherings throughout the year. Find out about these at the Information Booth, from your regional focalizers, and on the Internet at Facebook, and welcomehere.org.

The Rainbow Guide 

The Rainbow Guide is a noncommercial directory of our Family, compiled and published every year by volunteers with your contributions. The Guide helps the family to connect with each other thruout the year. The printed version is distributed at Information every summer at the annual North American Gathering. There is also an online version. The Guide crew usually bases its operations at Information, where cards are available to be filled out by those who want to be included.

All Ways Free 

Our free, non-commercial Family newspaper, All Ways Free is an open forum for the expressions and visions that make up the Rainbow Family that takes essays, stories, letters, poems, and art. It is produced entirely by volunteers and everybody is invited to contribute their heartsong, as well as funds for printing. It is available at Information every summer at the North American Gathering, and it can also be obtained by contacting the A.W.F. focalizers. A PDF file of it can be downloaded from www.bliss-fire.com

Clean Up & Rehabilitation

Clean Up begins before you leave your house. Think carefully about what you pack; do you really need it? Do you want to deal with packing it out?

Clean Up begins the moment you arrive. If you don’t disturb the environment to begin with, you don’t have to clean it up later. If you pick up trash all along, there isn’t a large amount at the end.

Keep a trash bag in your tent for your personal trash and hike it out at the end of your stay. Pick up at least one other trash bag on your way to your car, and deposit all trash in a dumpster at least 100 miles away.

After the last day of the Gathering, the camp is drawn inward from the perimeters to one central camp, thence to the front gate and the parking area, then out the gate and down the road. Campsites, bridges, and kitchens are dismantled and disappeared. Every last cigarette butt, pop tab, and bottle cap is picked up; every string is untied and removed. Compost pits and latrines are filled and covered with a dome of dirt, to allow for settling. Logs, rocks, and branches are scattered. Campsites are strewn with grass and leaves. Firepits are drowned with water and covered over with dirt. Paths are broken up, ground packed hard is broken up with pick and shovel, and bare spots are reseeded. Potential areas of erosion are shored up.

All traces of our presence are removed. The site is returned to its natural state. Vehicles leaving the Gathering help by taking at least one bag of trash with them, to a dumpster at least 100 miles away. Don’t impact the small towns near the Gathering. Recyclables are taken to appropriate collection points. In a year’s time, you won’t be able to tell that a small city of people lived here for weeks.

In all ways, we walk lightly on the land.