Sustainability is a much bigger concept than just recycling and picking up trash at a music festival. While both of these actions are definitely a step in the right direction, they are just a part of a much larger whole. A more encompassing definition of sustainability is the ability to sustain our society and its processes, both ecologically and economically through accountability. Sustainability requires action with intention, and we’re living in an exciting time where this concept is coming to life in our festival community.

Northern Nights Music Festival, in Mendocino, California, truly examines the bigger picture, and acts on intention to better both the surrounding community and the festival community. In just its third year, the fest is blazing a trail for others with its holistic approach to sustainability with the motto “party with a cause.” Although the festival was recognized in 2014 for its greening efforts by receiving a commended award from UK-based A Greener Festival , the team is working toward reaching new heights this year on their quest for sustainability.

This year, as an extension of the Polish Ambassador’s Permaculture Action Tour, NNMF will partner with the funky diplomat to host an earth-based, hands-on project day leading up to the festival. This day (exact date TBA) will be an interactive community-building gathering that celebrates sustainability and regeneration through community projects, skillshares, potlucks, and natural building. Participation in this Action Day is an opportunity to learn and better the community with the festival, TPA and local community organization partners, free-of-charge.

The Southern Humboldt Community Park [SHCP] and Eel River Clean up Project [ERCP] are this specific action day’s community partners. SHCP’s consists of an astounding 430 acres of grasslands, upland forests, prime farmland and native redwoods. The organization’s main priority is to administer careful usage of the land for the greatest community benefit, while preserving its open space and aesthetic beauty. Additionally, ERCP works tirelessly to keep Southern Humboldt’s waterways free of garbage and pollutants with inspiration, education and action. In response to the ongoing environmental problem of the trash and abandoned home encampments along the Eel River, ERCP was formed. In that time, ERCP has cleaned roughly 50,000 pounds of trash and recyclables. Action Day is your chance to get involved in both of these inspiring movements!

“Northern Nights’ goal is to inspire both festival guests and staff to experiment with integrating sustainable practices into everyday life,” said Zoe Dagan, NNMF General Manager. “Everyone recycles, but we want to find new ways to facilitate experiences where people can connect.”

In addition to a TPA Action Day taking place prior to the festival, NNMF will have plenty of opportunities for attendees to get involved and give back during the actual event as well. This year is the first year that NNMF will host a Community Carnival, consisting of interactive fun with a handful of non-profit partners. In past years a non-profit presence definitely existed, but blended in with all the excitement of the full festival experience. This year, the non-profit component is going to be as stimulating as all the other celebration that takes place on festival grounds.

“Thinking outside the box is really important…a lot of these folks from the city haven’t experienced a sustainable community like this before,” said Jenny Metz, NNMF's NPO and The Grove Coordinator. “We think about how we can inspire [sustainability] while surrounded by music, mountains, and trees.”

Instead of the typical festival row of non-profit booths, NNMF’s Community Carnival will take place under a festive, big-top parachute space. In addition to activities like henna art and photo booths to raise awareness and funding, the space will host several community non-profits for noble causes like: Healthy Planet, Southern Humboldt Community Park, Eel River Cleanup Project, Bioneers, and Environmental Protection Information Center. There will also be universities involved with the Community Carnival to provide further education on the topic of sustainability.

The different universities’ involvement with NNMF’s runs much deeper than just participating in the carnival. NNMF has long been working with Presidio Graduate School, a school that specializes in MBA degrees in sustainability, to design a policy to increase the success of waste diversion and management. They also recently brought the University of San Francisco on board to create an economic impact analysis of the event.

Even if festival attendees don’t end up making it to Action Day, or participating in and learning at the non-profit community carnival, everyone is actually giving back to the local community’s sustainability efforts just by purchasing a ticket. A portion of every ticket sold is donated to schools and community organizations. In the last two years NNMF donated more than $20,000 to local schools and community organization, most of which came from ticket sales.

“We all like to have a good time, there’s no reason we can’t do it for a cause,” said Jenny Metz.