Carpe Noctum: Preserving Our Dark Skies for Future Generations

Part 1 of 2 Programs Actions Beyond Light Pollution Awareness

By T. Kristin Rodgers, Highland Lakes Master Naturalist, Dark Sky Delegate M.S. Sustainable Natural Resource Management

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

What is Public Opinion on the Topic?

1. Rodgers Survey (2018)

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.). Why pursue light pollution? What is Light Pollution?

Pollution is defined as a Light is a source of modification of the illumination, environment by release whether a natural of noxious materials, one (like the sun) or rendering the an artificial one (like environment harmful a lamp) or unpleasant to life

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

Why is Light Pollution Bad?

Wildlife Energy Health

Heritage Safety Excessive Artificial Light Affects… Our Health

Plants don’t just need sunlight… some need darkness Moon 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?

An educational trunk is a footlocker-sized container full of case studies, lesson plans, hands-on learning The concepts and materials, instructor practices of quality materials, and various lighting are explored activities. 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. What is a Dark Sky Educational Trunk? Materials and Methods Cornerstone Activity: Turn on the Night Activity Kit

Source: NOAO, 2019 TOTN Task Force Challenge 1: Glare Driving in the Dark and How We Light our Roads Task Force Challenge 1: Glare Driving in the Dark and How We Light our Roads

Dear Mayor, Dear Mayor, I have lived in this city my whole life, but not The lights from the sports field with all your new fan-dangled lights on the are so bright and they shine all over the place, especially into my streets. It is very hard to see while driving eyes while I’m driving by at at night. The worst are those lights from all night. I have had close calls with the new billboards that shine right into my other drivers who I can’t help eyes, which is very painful. Is there anything experience the same thing. Can’t the city can do about this? they just keep the lights on the Sincerely, field and not on the street? Sincerely, Iris Auld Bea Wright

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

Task Force Challenge 2: Sky Glow

Photo Source: dreamstime.com Dear Mayor, Dear Mayor,

My daughter and I love looking at planets I’m a member of the city’s with our telescope at home. When I was amateur astronomy club. We growing up here, you could see an infinite hold weekly star parties in number of stars, but now I can only show the park, as has been the tradition for many decades. my daughter just a few of the brightest But now we can’t see the ones. The inspiration that was once there is stars in the Milky Way Galaxy now gone! There must be some way to keep anymore! We’re going to lose the skies dark for future generations. this tradition! Please help! Sincerely, Sincerely, Luna Crater Sol and Skye Noir

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: [email protected]

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! 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.pdf Choi, C. (2011). Blind Cave Fish Can Tell Time. LiveScience. Retrieved from https://www.livescience.com/15923-blind-cave-fish-circadian-rhythms.html Cibolo 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-astronomy Drake, 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.php Harvard 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-side Hegarty, S. (2012). The myth of the eight-hour sleep. BBC News. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-16964783 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 Hom, E. (2014). What is STEM? Live Science. Retrieved from https://www.livescience.com/43296-what-is-stem-education.html Hrala, 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-dark International 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-2016-6 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 National 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:10.2741/3634 Renewable 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: 990–998 Sibley, 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-find Texas 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

Photo Source: blackmaps.wordpress.com Literature Cited

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

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 hike b. Fireflies c. Scorpions d. Owls e. Goatsuckers

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

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

(4) night sky heritage a. Star parties in conjunction with Austin Astronomical Association b. Cultural Heritage

(5) Human health a. Spectra of lights b. Discussions about Circadian Rhythm and why it’s so important