Pottie Project

Potty Humor (Photo by Margot Duane)

The year was 2000. Those were the dark days of the POO-Apocalypse. Burners forgot to love their porta-potties. Beer cans, gray water, garbage and goat heads — all going into the porta-potties. The gods of the potties were not pleased! Our holy vendors walked off the job and refused to pump our porta-potties! The balance of Black Rock City was in peril! Our beloved city was about to be terminated! Enter the heroes of the Pottie Project! These brave souls set out to educate the citizens of Black Rock City that Leave No Trace applies to the porta-potties!

Do you love your porta-potties? Would you like to use your creativity in a way that helps to improve the experience of every Burner at Burning Man? (We all use the porta-potties!) Do you believe that Leave No Trace also applies to our porta-potties? Would you like to give back to the city we all love? The Pottie Project needs your help as volunteer!

The Pottie Project uses the individual self expression of our volunteers to create pottie education posters that remind Burners of the importance of Leave No Trace at the potties. We visit each and every of the 1,700 potties on the playa to put up educational posters in the potties, remind participants that “If it doesn’t come out of your body, it does not go into the pottie,” and encourage participants of Burning Man to love their potties.

Volunteer Positions

Sector Chiefs

Responsibilities

  • Full Time Position
  • Works pre-event onsite, post-event and during event
  • Around 36–40 hours for the event — very flexible shifts, usually about 9 am till 3 pm or noon till 6 pm
  • Responsible for pottie education for a section of BRC (about 300–500 porta-potties )
  • Responsible for theme of an individual sector and creating educational posters, art, poems, and/or performance art to help educate participants on pottie etiquette and LNT
  • Responsible for recruiting Pottie Friends and volunteers for sector
  • Responsible for placing educational posters and poems in potties pre-event and removing them post-event
  • Daily: visits potties to help encourage participants to love our potties, stands as a reminder to LNT at the potties, educates participants on LNT at the potties, resupplies Friends of the Potties with 1-ply TP and gifts them swag

Requirements

One year volunteerism at Burning Man with the Pottie Project or other BRC department, or at other Burning Man Regional Events.

Pottie Helper

Responsibilities

  • Work one or more shifts during event (6–8 hours) very flexible shifts usually about 9 am till 3 pm or noon till 6 pm
  • Helps sector chiefs carry out their doodies — uh, duties
  • Visits potties and helps with potty education

Friends of the Potties

  • Camps and individuals camped next to a bank of porta-potties
  • Is asked to take an active role in helping to LNT their bank of porta-potties
  • Gifted 1 ply TP to help restock during event
  • Given lots of swag, love, and thanks for efforts

Pottie Social Media Warriors

  • Pottie friends who take an active role on social media to help spread the good word of pottie etiquette
  • Helps on social media to shape public views on individual responsibilities of LNT at the potties
  • Helps through the year but takes very active role weeks leading up to Burning Man

Pottie Project Contact Information

If interested, indicate Pottie Project in the Volunteer Questionnaire, or contact our volunteer coordinator via pottyproject@burningman.org. You can also join our Facebook Group to learn more about Excremental Correctness at Burning Man and other venues where porta-potties are provided.