NEW LOCATION: Due to storm surge from Tropical Storm Karen, the barnraising will be held in New Orleans at Propeller, 4035 Washington Avenue. If you have questions, please call 504.239.4642.
[](https://i.publiclab.org/system/images/photos/000/001/399/original/coverimage-banner-01.png)
**Conference Dates:** October 4-6, 2013 (full days Friday, Saturday, Sunday)
**Travel Details:** Free shuttle from MSY (Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport) on Thursday PM & Monday AM
**Location:** [LUMCON](http://www.lumcon.edu/Information/about.asp), a research station on the Gulf Coast in [Cocodrie, Lousiana](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cocodrie,_Louisiana)
**RSVP** for the barn raising [here](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1FmmZFUUn2fOe-xI9-gtWdge8C-nXCTS9G0D977YOwAE/viewform). (link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1FmmZFUUn2fOe-xI9-gtWdge8C-nXCTS9G0D977YOwAE/viewform) _Deadline is September 27th!_
**A human contact if you have logistical questions:** Liz Barry (336-269-1539) or liz[@]publiclab.org; Shannon Dosemagen (504.239.4642) or shannon[@]publiclab.org; and Becki Chall, becki[@]publiclab.org.
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##What is a Public Lab barn raising?##
This is the closest thing we have to a Public Lab conference -- but with an emphasis on "doing stuff together" rather than just presenting/talking. In the spirit of bringing a community together to collectively raise a structure such as a barn, Public Lab comes together to develop tools, toolkits, supporting materials such as guides and tutorials, test the tools and develop new research directions and projects. Participants represent a wide range of interests from technologists and designers to social scientists and community organizers.
**2013 Theme: Education:** Many folks have been leading programs and writing curricula for Public Lab tools and field methods. This barnraising is dedicated to bringing these initiatives together and identifying a plan for growing education within Public Lab and with our partner organizations. By doing this we hope to better support knowledge-sharers of all varieties who are growing the community of people who can do their own environmental research.
##Join the conversation##
**Join the Education Working Group list:**https://groups.google.com/group/plots-education
**Join the Barn Raising mailing list:** https://groups.google.com/group/plots-barnraising
_Canoe time at the 2012 Barnraising (photo by Pat Coyle)_
##Planning Committees##
If you are attending, please sign up for one or more committees!
**Foodcom** [Jeff](/profile/warren) + [Ted](/profile/TedF) + [Becki](/profile/Becki) - for more, see the [FOODCOM wiki page](/wiki/barnraising-foodcom)
**Beercom** [Jeff](/profile/warren) + [Becki](/profile/Becki) + [?]
(unwinding, downtime)
**Gearcom** + [Scott](/profile/eustatic) + [Mathew](/profile/mathew) + [?]
(organizing what equipment needs to be brought)
**Doccom ** [Liz](/profile/liz) + [?]
(tweeting, documenting, reporting out to the online audience as things happen)
**Media sharing**
Lots of people will be taking photos, shared articles/readings, etc. Let's aggregate them here, just edit this page and paste in the link below! Flickr tags: "publiclaboratory" and "barnraising2013". Please remember to share as Creative Commons Attribution at least. We can also host large amounts of files, just contact web@publiclaboratory.org.
_PASTE YOUR MEDIA LINKS HERE: _
**Travelcom ** [Becki](/profile/Becki) head organizer, [Jeff](/profile/warren) will be a driver, [Shannon](/profile/shannon) will be a driver + [Scott](/profile/eustatic) can be a driver + [?]
If you'll be needing a ride to / from the airport, or from New Orleans to Cocodrie, give us a heads up as to your [travel deets in this google doc](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1EY9h7ftbG7OQtAGKx2QTz9HsFuasQMXUt2RsdY57kYA/edit)
**Schedulecom ** [Liz](/profile/Liz) + [?]
This COM will will collate ideas for sessions (add yours below) and create the schedule grid (embedded below). There will also be some open sessions for unconference-style organizing.
##Session Ideas##
Add your ideas for sessions here! Discuss on the Barnraising mailing list! Join Schedule Com to help turn these ideas into a real schedule (see embedded spreadsheet below)
* Who's teaching what? Presentations of current educational programs in Public Lab, discussion on Education Working Group
* Who's documenting what? Presentations of curricula created around Public Lab tools, including [Oil Spill Toolkit](http://publiclab.org/wiki/oil-response-toolkit-planning) and the [GeoJournalism Handbook](http://geojournalism.oeco.org.br/2013/08/balloon-mapping-how-to-make-your-own-low-flying-satellite/).
* Popular Activities as proven entry points to Public Lab that we could design curriculum around: http://publiclab.org/wiki/activities
* Barnstars turn 1! (classic barnstars awarded for all barnraising attendees, learn how to add them to your profile page)
* Public Lab value statement (draft started at Barnraising 2012)
* http://www.gogamestorm.com/ for group discussion facilitation games (via Dan Beavers)
* Raspberry Pi Infragram with [Mathew](/profiles/mathew). Buy/bring a Pi and Pi camera if you want to make one.
* Flare spectrometry -- how to measure contaminants from gas flares (suggested by Jeff)
* Making and launching small-run open hardware kits, crowdfunding (suggested by Jeff)
* Tour of LUMCON facilities (and maybe research vessels!) led by Alex Kolker. Best for Saturday.
* "Prove something with Infragram" - outdoor "photo hunt" with infragram cameras (with head-boxes), in small teams, followed by each group using Infragram.org to test a simple hypothesis about plant health. Slideshow and discussion at end. (Jeff on behalf of LEAFFEST crew and Cindy)
* Infragram & Spectrometer interface brainstorming with respective designers, coders, users, etc. -- "wish list" and wireframe sketching (proposed by Jeff, looking for co-lead)
* Web Working Group presents cool stuff that will help you participate in Public Lab. Bonus info for moderators.
* how to to get more serious about public lab developers as a community... a plots-dev mailing list? Try to cultivate a programmer corps? (Jeff plus anyone who's interested)
* Ethics of participation: picking it up where we left it last year and breif presentation of a draft guide of ethical principles and practices in community-based research (suggested by Cindy)
* Some thoughts on Participatory Sensing - "Community engagement in environment monitoring through imagery: Discussion on community engagement in developing methods for sensing and their impact on sustainability" (suggested by Hagit and Cindy)
* Short discussion about the attributes, purpose, etc. of an open online community map (on the [Mapping for Change](http://www.communitymaps.org.uk/) platform) to plot DIY Public Lab tools/knowledge available for sharing - maybe start here in the UK and then extended to the US and around the world.
* Re-imagining Space: short presentations of work and discussion on maps, storytelling and social/political change in zones of conflict (suggested by Catherine and Hagit)
* collaboration with government entities: how those of us who work for government can better connect with and support Public Lab's work and (hopefully!) use the data - curious to hear about how Public Lab has interfaced with EPA, Corps or other agencies - challenges and results (suggested by Lee)
* was going to add something on mapping in areas with land and/or natural resource conflict (and ethics), but I think similar issues will be discussed in already proposed sessions, so will just echo my interest for Cindy's proposed sessions on ethics of participation and participatory sensing and Catherine's idea for discussion on maps in areas of conflict (Lee)
##Logistics##
LUMCON is generously allowing us to descend on their research station, so please review their online handbook for visitors: http://www.lumcon.edu/facilities/MarineCenter/VisitorHandbook.pdf
**Lodging Options**
The majority of people will be staying at the LUMCON facility which has male and female dorm-style bunk rooms and a couple of apartments with double beds. Each is $20 per night. If you are not comfortable spending the night in a dorm, the closest marina/lodge is TradeWinds: http://www.tradewindscocodrie.com/. If you are coming with a group of friends, there are also a number of "camp" options (which means large houses with enough sleeping room for 8+). There are also a number of lodging options in Houma (which is a bit of a distance away) and a couple of options in Chauvin.
##Scenes from the 2012 Barnraising##
Video produced by Caterina Scaramelli (12 minutes of pure Barnraising gold)
_Kickoff at the schedule grid! (photo by Don Blair)_
_A late-night session on Barnstars! (photo by Don Blair)_
**Information** on the [2011](http://publiclab.org/wiki/past-barnraisings) and [2012](http://publiclab.org/wiki/barnraising) barnraising