Honouring our roots, sowing the seeds of positive change.
This manifesto is a seed.
A first step toward a long-term commitment to care for the ecosystem that receives us, to deepen our connection with Mother Earth, and to leave a legacy rooted in consciousness and collective responsibility.
The Heartland Gathering was born from listening to the earth and water, the source of life and renewal. It is nourished by ancestral wisdom, by the sacred medicines that connect us back to the source. Our gathering is more than a celebration; it is an offering, a return to our roots and a call to live in harmony with nature.
Rooted in Nebraska, a land shaped by the abundance of the High Plains Aquifer, Heartland rises from the most water-rich region in the U.S. Yet even here, water is not endless. Its presence reminds us to protect what sustains us, to listen, and to care.
As we enter our third gathering cycle, we embrace a new layer of awareness, recognizing the impact of our presence on the land, the water, the air, and each other.
Bringing this gathering to life takes energy, movement, and resources. From the journeys we make to arrive, to the water we use, to the waste we leave behind; everything has a footprint. This is why this is our year zero, a cycle to understand this impact and sow the seeds of a more sustainable path forward.
Our 2025 main strategies are:
- We begin by creating a dedicated Sustainability Department, one that is interwoven with every layer of production. From the land keepers to the crew, the talent, and the community that gathers to celebrate the fruits of a six-month journey. This year’s mission is to diagnose where we stand and where we need to go, laying the foundation for a long-term sustainability roadmap.
- We are designing and implementing a comprehensive waste management program, one aimed at recovering, sorting and recycling as much as possible. A program that will be embedded and improved in the six-month production journey, aiming to cultivate a culture of care and shared responsibility.
- We are working on our first environmental footprint assessment, measuring our carbon emissions and other environmental indicators. This will allow us to acknowledge the true impact of our gathering, and to set specific, measurable goals to reduce, and where possible to offset, our footprint in the years to come.
These efforts will culminate in our first Sustainability Report, a living document and honest reflection that will serve as the foundation for a mid and long-term plan toward sustainable evolution. It will follow international standards such as the ISO 20121 for sustainable event production and the best practices from A Greener Future and Green Music Initiative, both tailored for the creative and cultural scene.
We believe that protecting Mother Earth begins with individual and collective awareness, that awareness inspires care, and that daily care becomes our legacy.
Heartland Gathering is an invitation not only to connect deeper without ourselves, but to reimagine and rebuild a world, one in harmony with nature and one that honours the interconnectedness of all life forms.
We embrace the fortune, power and responsibility that we have to enhance positive change and to co-create a better world, starting to acknowledge and care for the ecosystem that receives us to celebrate.
Thank you for being part of this community.