Minnesota / Wisconsin Gathering 2019

Every year has it's own gathering blog.  The 2020 Gathering is available here.

Here is a cleanup report from one of the INFO crew folks who was there until the end. I would love to hear other perspectives as well. Some final Clean Up photos.....the Clean Up Crew rolls out in the morning. The Meadow photos are mostly of Boogie pit and Dinner Circle area and Meadow trails. Ferns now waist high and shoulder high in most areas. Dragonflies gone but Butterflies are here. Wild Turkey back and no bear problems with digging our compost. Unfortunately lots of Clean Up crew tested positive for lymes. The Crew did great with 12 hour+ work days and lots of tick problems. Peace and Blessings from some of our Clean Up gang. All looks great and FS loved it. I'm in Iron river for the Blueberry Festival before I hit the scenic roadway. Peace and Love from the hard kicking Crew. Another person's feedback on cleanup Cleanup crew's final night in the woods was last night. Cleanup went very smooth with little complications. We planned a few hundred tr...

This year, we had a heart shaped meadow and many rainbows. Most of the people I met at the gathering were kind, loving people who were there to experience magic, healing, create love, and participate in a beautiful and mellow gathering. I met many people from the Midwest who came home for the first time or the first time in a long time.  Welcome home to all the new faces and those whom we haven't seen in awhile. The gathering took place at the site of a former hunting lodge and deer ranch that was purchased (or given) to the United States Forest Service about 15 years ago.   I found leftover irrigation pipe scattered around the gathering. Despite the rumor mill, I learned that the Forest Management Plan for the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest is currently being updated and the process will last three to four years. There will be opportunities for public comment. Until the plan is completed and approved, no logging should occur at the site of this year's gat...

INTERSTATE 35 out of Minneapolis/Saint Paul :  Please note that Interstate 35 out of Minneapolis (and away from the airport) is full of construction. There are many detours and unexpected merging throughout the area of construction. It can be confusing. The construction continues on and off for about 100 miles but is less bad once you are outside of Minneapolis. Doing more digging it appears that I-35 has two parts: I-35W and I-35E that run north and south kind of parallel to each other. It's the Western one that is getting most of the construction. If possible take I-35E North out of the cities. Updated info from the Dept of Transportation can be found HERE. FOREST ROAD 412 : Some good advice for when you are just arriving at the Site of the Rainbow Gathering itself: The final road, Forest Road 412 is a ONE WAY road. When you see cars parked along the road, on the right hand side, pull off, making sure that all four of your wheels are off the roadway. Get your gear an...

Bad Tent Location - Too Close to surface water ( Photo from http://www.flickr.com/photos/meganpru/5914413517/ ) Lakes and other surface water provide water for animals in the area and spawning grounds for fish.  Water is the heart of the ecosystem. When folks disrespect the lake, they disrespect the land on which we gather as well as the heart of the gathering itself. While one or two people swimming in a lake can have minimal impact, when there are a few thousand of us, we can negatively impact the lake if we do not take the same precautions our local public pool requires. Tips & Tricks for protecting the lakes Grab a bucket of water and rinse off at least 300 feet away from the lake and where the water won't run back into the lake.  This helps remove sunscreens, tick repellent including natural remedies, and skin oils that are harmful to the lake and the creatures that live there. Don't pee in the lake. Do not camp within 300 feet of the lake.  Let's ...

Dear residents of Northern Wisconsin, especially those in the vicinity of the Rainbow Gathering, Some of the gathering participants are putting together a Town Hall Meeting.  LOCATION:    Uncle Bob's Bowling Center  68290 S Main St Iron River, Wisconsin 54847 TIME: 4 p.m. SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS:  Anyone under 21 will need to bring a parent or guardian. This will be an opportunity for gathering participants to provide an overview of this gathering, allow local community members to ask questions, share concerns, and for many of us to get to know each other on an individual basis. Please come meet everyone!

Copied from Facebook Hey everyone. This gathering is literally in my backyard. Like I can walk to it through woods. I know this place real well. You need to bring permethrin for your clothes and a old cotton sheet that you can tie to a stick like a flag and sweep grasses around tent and on paths for tics they cling to cotton then kill them. This is deer tic heaven and lymes is probably your biggest concern In these woods. They are everywhere. Tic check daily do not miss a day. Always be watching everyone else too. It is very serious. I’ve lived most of my life here and haven’t contracted it yet but have treated for it a few times just in case. I just had one imbedded this morning from 5 minutes in the woods yesterday. If they remain on you for 30 hours you need to go get a dose of antibiotics antibiotics are effective within first two weeks after infection. If you wait they become ineffective quickly. So many people around here have lymes disease.  You can...

Updated information will be available here for the next week or two. Check back frequently.  Updated June 17 @  9:00 am California time. 48th Annual Rainbow Family Gathering of the Tribes July 1 to July 7, 2019 We, who are brothers & sisters, children of spirit, families of life on earth, friends of nature & of all people, children of humankind calling ourselves the rainbow gathering, humbly invite: All races, peoples, tribes, communes, men, women, children, individuals -- out of love. All nations & national leaders -- out of respect All religions & religious leaders -- out of faith All politicians -- out of charity to join with us in gathering together for the purpose of expressing our sincere desire that there shall be peace on earth, harmony among all people. & to hold open worship, prayer, chanting or whatever is the want or desire of the people, for three days, but upon the fourth day of July at noon to ask that there be a meditative,...

Updated June 11 @ 9:45 pm California time Spring Council/Circle/Counsel aka spring ccc is where the site for the 2019 gathering will be determined and gathering layout begins. There may be travel to see sites the scouts propose, lots of walking, discussion and/or consensus. All are welcome to participate in the process. Spring ccc starts June 8 and can last one day or one week.  Spring council is over. For information on the gathering, read the Howdy Folk s. Spring council directions  Take State HW 13 north through Washburn, WI. From the north end of town, about 10 miles towards Bayfield. Watch for the State Fish Hatchery on the left, go two more miles to County Road J West/Left (at the Woodside Cottages sign). Follow J about 1 mile, until the STOP sign. Go straight onto Star Route Rd, ----be aware Star Route is a windy, up and down hilly, and narrow road. Take Star Route Rd. about 3 miles, watch for Echo Valley Road on right ---slow down---after the...

Updated June 11, 9:45 pm California Time Usually when someone gets on my email list, this is the first information I send them. So to you out here in blogsphere, here's that same information. From the invite to the very first Rainbow Gathering in 1972: We, who are brothers & sisters, children of God, families of  life on earth, friends of nature & of all people, children of humankind calling ourselves Rainbow Family Tribe, humbly invite: All races, peoples, tribes, communes, men, women, children, individuals -- out of love. All nations & national leaders -- out of respect All religions & religious leaders -- out of faith All politicians -- out of charity to join with us in gathering together for the purpose of expressing our sincere desire that there shall be peace on earth, harmony among all people. This gathering to take place beginning July 1, 1972, near Aspen, Colorado - or between Aspen the Hopi Navajo lands - on 3000 ac...

"We encourage individuals to help cocreate the 48th Annual Rainbow Family of Living Light Gathering of the Tribes from July 1-7, 2019, and to join us in a silent meditation and prayer for peace from dawn till noon on July 4, 2019, somewhere in the Western Lake Superior region from the Nicolet Forest through the Chippewa Forest, including all National Forests between." [This includes all National Forests in Wisconsin and Minnesota]