### About the Barnraising

Barnraisings are the closest thing we have to a Public Lab conference -- but with an emphasis on "doing stuff together." At these events, people come together to exchange field-tested technical knowledge, compare advocacy tactics, and share stories in person. On the first morning of the event, we make our own schedule using an "Open Space Technology" approach; this ensures that the agenda speaks directly to the interests of the people present. Our [Code of Conduct](https://publiclab.org/conduct) applies here as in all other Public Lab spaces. At a Barnraising, people may:

* Connect with people from other regions who are working on similar issues
* Exchange advocacy strategies
* Build and modify tools for collecting data 
* Learn about local environmental health concerns, perhaps through a field trip
* Improve social ties through in-person collaboration 
* Learn how to collaborate with the broader Public Lab community 

Every Fall since 2012, Public Lab hosts a Gulf Coast Barnraising, also referred to as the Annual Barnraising. Additionally, since 2014, we host a Regional Barnraising every summer through partnerships with local groups working on place-specific issues such as restoring wetlands on depleted farmland, monitoring the largest landfill in LA County, assessing petcoke pollution in Southeast Chicago, and timelapse imaging mountain top removal explosions in West Virginia. 

**Browse more about Barnraisings here: https://publiclab.org/tag/barnraising**

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## Host your own barnraising

Thinking about hosting a Barnraising? Check out the [resources on this page](/wiki/barnraising-host)

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### Past Barnraisings:

* [2018 Crisis Convening & Barnraising, Newark, New Jersey](/barnraising-newark-2018)
* [2017 Barnraising: Cocodrie, Louisiana](https://publiclab.org/wiki/barnraising-2017)
* [2017 Appalachia Barnraising](https://publiclab.org/wiki/appalachia-barnraising-2017)
* [2016 Barnraising: Cocodrie, Louisiana](wiki/barnraising-2016)
* [2016 Regional Barnraising, Val Verde, CA](https://publiclab.org/wiki/barnraising-val-verde-ca)
* [2015 Barnraising: Cocodrie, Louisiana](/wiki/barnraising-2015)
* [2015 Midwest Regional Barnraising: Chicago, Illinois](/wiki/2015-regional-barnraising)
* [2014 Barnrasing: Cocodrie, Louisiana](/wiki/barnraising-2014)
* [2014 Northeast Regional Barnraising: Plymouth, Massachusetts](/wiki/barnraising-northeast-2014)
* [2013 Barnraising: New Orleans, Louisiana](/wiki/barnraising-2013)
* [2012 Barnraising: Cocodrie, Louisiana](/wiki/barnraising-2012)
* [2011 Barnraising: Asheville, North Carolina](/wiki/barnraising-2011)

[![The_Barnraiser_--_Regional_Special_Issue_2016.jpg](//i.publiclab.org/system/images/photos/000/016/690/large/The_Barnraiser_--_Regional_Special_Issue_2016.jpg)](//i.publiclab.org/system/images/photos/000/016/690/original/The_Barnraiser_--_Regional_Special_Issue_2016.jpg)