Carpe Noctum: Preserving Our Dark Skies for Future

Generations

Part 1 of 2 ProgramsActions Beyond Light Pollution Awareness

ByT. Kristin Rodgers, Highland Lakes Master Naturalist, Dark Sky DelegateM.S. Sustainable Natural Resource Management

Bridget Langdale,Mason County Master Naturalist, IDA Dark Sky Delegate

What is Public Opinion on the Topic?

2. International Dark Sky Association Survey:• Only 1 in 10 respondents from the general public expressed concern about light

pollution• HOWEVER --- Of those respondents familiar with IDA, 7 in 10 expressed concern

about light pollution, showing education and outreach efforts were highly successful!

• College educated women over 55 years old expressed the most concern about the effects of light pollution and were most likely to take actions to reduce it (IDA, 2018.).

1. Rodgers Survey (2018)

Why pursue light pollution?

What is Light Pollution?

Pollution is defined as a modification of the environment by release of noxious materials, rendering the environment harmful or unpleasant to life

Light is a source of illumination, whether a natural one (like the sun) or an artificial one (like a lamp)

Light pollution is the inappropriate or excessive use of artificial light which can have serious environmental consequences for humans, wildlife, energy consumption and our climate.

Components of Light Pollution

Urban Sky Glow

Light Trespass

WildlifeHealth

Energy

Heritage Safety

Why is Light Pollution Bad?

Excessive Artificial Light Affects… Our Health

Plants don’t just need sunlight… some need darknessMoon Flower (Common Night Glory)

Artificial Light Affects... Wildlife

Excessive Use of Artificial Light Impacts… Energy Consumption

Light Pollution Impacts our Cultural Heritage

Improper use of artificial light creates the illusion of safety and creates opportunities for criminals.

PART 2 – Turn on the Night: Task Force Challenge Kits

What is a Dark Sky Educational Trunk?

The concepts and practices of quality lighting are explored through problem-based learning, hands-on/minds-on activities, as well as assessments and dark sky inspirational and educational hikes, fireside chats, star parties, etc.

An educational trunk is a footlocker-sized container full of case studies, lesson plans, hands-on learning materials, instructor materials, and various activities.

What is a Dark Sky Educational Trunk?

Materials and MethodsCornerstone Activity: Turn on the Night Activity Kit

Source: NOAO, 2019

TOTN Task Force Challenge 1: GlareDriving in the Dark and How We Light our Roads

Task Force Challenge 1: GlareDriving in the Dark and How We Light our Roads

Dear Mayor, I have lived in this city my whole life, but not with all your new fan-dangled lights on the streets. It is very hard to see while driving at night. The worst are those lights from all the new billboards that shine right into my eyes, which is very painful. Is there anything the city can do about this?Sincerely, Iris Auld

Dear Mayor, The lights from the sports field are so bright and they shine all over the place, especially into my eyes while I’m driving by at night. I have had close calls with other drivers who I can’t help experience the same thing. Can’t they just keep the lights on the field and not on the street?Sincerely, Bea Wright

TOTN Task Force Challenge 1: GlareDriving in the Dark and How We Light our Roads

TOTN Task Force Challenge 1: GlareDriving in the Dark and How We Light our Roads

TOTN Task Force Challenge 1: GlareDriving in the Dark and How We Light our Roads

Task Force Challenge 2: Sky Glow

Photo Source: dreamstime.com

Dear Mayor,

My daughter and I love looking at planets with our telescope at home. When I was growing up here, you could see an infinite number of stars, but now I can only show my daughter just a few of the brightest ones. The inspiration that was once there is now gone! There must be some way to keep the skies dark for future generations. Sincerely, Sol and Skye Noir

Dear Mayor,

I’m a member of the city’s amateur astronomy club. We hold weekly star parties in the park, as has been the tradition for many decades. But now we can’t see the stars in the Milky Way Galaxy anymore! We’re going to lose this tradition! Please help! Sincerely, Luna Crater

Task Force Challenge 3: Trespass

Capstone Challenge: Energy

Our fantastic civilization has fallen out of touch with many

aspects of nature, and with none more completely than with

night… With lights and ever more lights, we drive the holiness

and beauty of night back to the forests and the sea…

Henry Beston, “Night on the Great Beach,”from The Outermost House (1928)

Questions

Please contact me at: trodgers25@yahoo.com

Special thanks given to:Each of you!

Dr. Bibles for sharing his time and talents and teaching me the value of re-rewriting.

Cindy Luongo-Cassidy, President of the International Dark Sky Association, Texas Chapter, who believed in me and this project from the beginning.

The Cibolo Nature Center for allowing my project to compliment your inspiring educational opportunities and enhance your mission.

To my family for your support and patience while I spent nights reading, researching and collaborating; and weekends away attending seminars, and dark sky festivals, in an effort to

preserve something we all love.

Carpe Noctum!

Photo Source: blackmaps.wordpress.com

LITERATURE CITED

Beston, H. (1928). Night on the Great Beach, from The Outermost House. Henry Holt and Company. New York.Bogard, P. (2008). Let There Be Night. Testimony on Behalf of the Dark. University of Nevada Press. Reno. Bogard, P. (2008). The End of Night: Searching for Natural Darkness in an Age of Artificial Light. Nevada Press. Reno.Chepesiuk, R. (2009 January). Missing the Dark. Health Effects of Light Pollution. Environmental Health Perspectives. Volume 117. Number 1. Pages A20-A27. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2627884/pdf/EHP-117-a20.pdfChoi, C. (2011). Blind Cave Fish Can Tell Time. LiveScience. Retrieved from https://www.livescience.com/15923-blind-cave-fish-circadian-rhythms.htmlCibolo Nature Center and Farm. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.cibolo.org/about/Cornell University (2016.). The History of Astronomy. Retrieved from http://curious.astro.cornell.edu/people-and-astronomy/the-history-of-astronomyDrake, N. (2019). Our nights are getting brighter, and Earth is paying the price. National Geographic. Science and Innovation. Retrieved from https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2019/04/nights-are-getting-brighter-earth-paying-the-price-light-pollution-dark-skies/Fraieli, A. (2015 April 2). Light Pollution: Causing a mess of problems. Retrieved from https://www.upressonline.com/2015/04/light-pollution-is-causing-a-mess-of-problems-around-the-world-starting-with-our-own-bodies/Globe at Night. (n.d.) What is Light Pollution? Retrieved from https://www.globeatnight.org/light-pollution.phpHarvard Medical School. (2012). Blue light has a dark side. What is blue light? The effect blue light has on your sleep and more. Retrieved from https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/blue-light-has-a-dark-sideHegarty, S. (2012). The myth of the eight-hour sleep. BBC News. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-16964783History.com Editors. (2010 February 9). Edison demonstrates incandescent light. History. A&E Publishers. Inventions. Retrieved from https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/edison-demonstrates-incandescent-lightHom, E. (2014). What is STEM? Live Science. Retrieved from https://www.livescience.com/43296-what-is-stem-education.htmlHrala, J. (2016 February 19). There’s an Evolutionary Reason Why We’re Afraid of the Dark. Science Alert. Retrieved from https://www.sciencealert.com/here-s-the-evolutionary-reason-why-we-re-afraid-of-the-darkInternational Dark Sky Association (IDA). (2019) Retrieved from www.darksky.org.International Dark Sky Association -Texas Chapter (IDA). (2019) Retrieved from www.darksky.org/texas.Kane, S. (2016). The most light-polluted places in the world. Tech Insider. Retrieved from https://www.businessinsider.com/worst-light-pollution-skyglow-map-2016-6Kyba, C., Kuester, T., et al. (2017). Artificially lit surface of Earth at night increasing in radiance and extent. Science Advances: e1701528. Retrieved from https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/3/11/e1701528/tab-pdfNational Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO). (2015). Instructor Guide. Retrieved from NOAO.org/instructor-guide.Oxford Dictionaries. 2014-04-20. Retrieved July 7, 2019.Refinetti, R. (2010). The circadian rhythm of body temperature. Frontiers in Bioscience. 15 (3): 564–94. DOI:10.2741/3634Renewable Resources Coalition. (n.d.). Top 11 Natural Resources. Retrieved from www.renewableresourcescoaltition.org.Rodgers, K. (2018). Questionnaire: List the top 3 sources of pollution that threaten our planet. Designed and executed by K. Rodgers for Unity College.Schwarz, H. (2003). Light Pollution: The Global View. Kluwer Academic Publishers. Dordrecht. Netherlands.Science Advances. Science Dictionary. (n.d.). What is pollution? Retrieved from http://thesciencedictionary.org/pollution/Schilling, M. and Chiang., L. (2011). The effect of natural resources on sustainable development policy: The approach of non-sustainable externalities. Energy Policy 39: 990–998Sibley, D. (2015). Why are they called goatsuckers? Retrieved from https://www.sibleyguides.com/2015/03/why-are-they-called-goatsuckers/Tatera, K. (2015 November 19). Isolation in the Dark Drives Humans to Brink of Insanity, Studies Find. The Science Explorer. Retrieved from http://thescienceexplorer.com/brain-and-body/isolation-dark-drives-humans-brink-insanity-studies-findTexas Almanac. (2017). Retrieved from https://texasalmanac.com/topics/facts-profile.Texas Education Agency. (n.d.) Retrieved from https://tea.texas.gov/curriculum/teks/.Texas Master Naturalist, (n.d.). Retrieved from https://txmn.org/about/UNESCO. (2013). The Magura Cave with drawings from the bronze age. UNESCO World Heritage Center. Retrieved 18 July 2019. Upgren, A. (2006). Everything you ever wanted to know about light pollution. Sky and Telescope. Retrieved from https://www.skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-resources/everything-you-ever-wanted-to-know-about-light-pollution/.US Census Data. (n.d.) Retrieved from https://www.reference.com/geography/many-cities-ec427c4cd025046

Globe at Night. (n.d.) What is Light Pollution? Retrieved from https://www.globeatnight.org/light-pollution.php

History.com Editors. (2010 February 9). Edison demonstrates incandescent light. History. A&E Publishers. Inventions. Retrieved from https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/edison-demonstrates-incandescent-light

International Dark Sky Association (IDA). (n.d.). Retrieved from darksky.org

Kane, S. (2016). The most light-polluted places in the world. Tech Insider. Retrieved from https://www.businessinsider.com/worst-light-pollution-skyglow-map-2016-6

Kyba, C., Kuester, T., et al. (2017). Artificially lit surface of Earth at night increasing in radiance and extent. Science Advances: e1701528. Retrieved from https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/3/11/e1701528/tab-pdf

NASA. (n.d.). Starry Night Background. Retrieved from https://blogs.nasa.gov/Watch_the_Skies/2017/08/Science Advances. Science Dictionary. (n.d.). What is pollution? Retrieved from http://thesciencedictionary.org/pollution/

Van Gogh, V. (1889). Starry Night

Literature Cited

Life Before Artificial Light

Additional Programs

Five pillars IDA’s mission is founded on and how light pollution affects:

(1) Wildlife and ecosystems; a. Bat hikeb. Firefliesc. Scorpionsd. Owlse. Goatsuckers

(2) The energy light pollution wastes; a. Ways to better use lightsb. Light boxesc. Harnessing the power of the sun to offer better lighting alternatives

(3) Lighting, crime and safety;a. Globe at Nightb. Letter writing activity to legislators and city leaders

(4) night sky heritagea. Star parties in conjunction with Austin Astronomical Associationb. Cultural Heritage

(5) Human healtha. Spectra of lightsb. Discussions about Circadian Rhythm and why it’s so important