Hello out there, my moop maniacs and line sweepers extraordinaire! It is my very great pleasure to kick off the official Moop Map results for 2015.

It’s time, Black Rock City, to find out how we all fared in our Leave No Trace efforts. Are you ready? Of course you are! This is the moment you’ve been waiting for!

If you’re just joining this annual tradition of ours – welcome! Here’s a little reading to acquaint yourself with the Moop Map.

Reading the Moop Map

We can all use a reminder on this one. So here goes:

The Moop Map is created as the Resto line sweepers make their way through the city. The colors of the map – green, yellow, and red – reflect how quickly the line moves through a specific area. If they’re able to walk at a reasonable speed while still picking up all the moop they find, that’s a green zone. If they have to slow down so they can get it all, it’s yellow. If they stop completely, it’s red.

Remember, even spots marked green are not “perfect.” We always find something, and there is always room to improve. So if your camp was green this year, don’t rest on your laurels – keep on thinking about how to leave no trace!

Yellow zones are often found in high-traffic areas: dance floors, bars, crowded camps. These areas might be full of things like wood chips and bits of astroturf … or they might be relatively moop-free, but spotted with greywater spills. It can be a big range of stuff – what matters is that it’s enough to slow down the line.

Red spots, in general, are where something hit the ground and didn’t get picked up. Broken bottles, black water from RVs, swathes of wood splinters. Eggshells. Glowstick connectors. You name it! Sometimes there’ll be a red spot in the middle of a green camp. Don’t freak out, maybe something fell off a passing car. However, if your whole camp is red … well then you should know that you can do better. And we can help you figure out how!

Finally, remember that we are all in this together. The Moop Map is our way of teaching each other, supporting each other’s Leave No Trace efforts, sharing the responsibility as a community. So don’t shame your neighbors. Don’t get all burnier-than-thou on us. Be a friend to the folks who need a little moop education, and help them learn how to do better next year.

And now that we all know how this works … let’s do it!

Ladies and germs, here are the results of the first day of Playa Restoration. As usual, the line sweepers started their march at the farthest, most remote blocks at the end of 2:00. They swept through 27 clean-n-green blocks by lunch, moving at a fast clip (thanks for being green again folks! We can always count on you).

Then, in the baking heat of the day, the Resto moopers took a trip to the cinders of the Man, where they whiled away the hours picking up the pieces of a big booming fire (remember that boom?).

It’s funny to spend your days cleaning up after a festival. Every bit of detritus comes with a memory. We remember you, Black Rock City – heck, we’re still here. And we’ve got you to thank for these days in the dust. Keep on doing what you do, and we will too.

Stay tuned, we’ve got more for you REAL soon.

Follow along with the Playa Restoration team:

The Hun is on Facebook, Twitter,Instagram and Flickr, and Summer Burkes is on Twitter too!