The value of the dark skies resource and what can be done to make sure the region’s exceptional dark skies aren’t diluted by light pollution were topics addressed by local and regional community leaders and national dark sky experts in two visioning sessions hosted by the Flagstaff Dark Skies Coalition via Zoom and facilitated by Arizona Town Hall President and CEO Tara Jackson and volunteer Chair-elect Evelyn Casuga.
Retired U.S. Naval Observatory astronomer and Coalition member Chris Luginbuhl noted the more than 60-year history of successful efforts by scientists and others to promote awareness, appreciation and protection of starry skies through educational efforts and lighting ordinances. “We feel there is so much more we can accomplish, beyond the traditionally understood interests of the observatories and professional astronomers,” he said. “Dark skies and stars don’t belong only to astronomers any more than Grand Canyon belongs only to geologists.”
The group discussed many benefits of dark skies, including impacts on wildlife and human health, spiritual and cultural connections, and educational and scientific advances.
Participants Marshall and Dr. Jane Whitmire are members of Camp Verde Dark Skies. The two have long been concerned about light pollution and are active advocates for keeping starry skies dark. “We are very interested in pursuing a regional emphasis on dark sky protection,” said Marshall.
“We’ve tried to bring to attention the importance of involving young people and children,” said Dr. Jane Whitmire, who suggests incorporating information about the dark skies resource into learning opportunities at schools and in communities.
“I think back to the anti-smoking campaigns and what an impact children had on parents who smoked and urging them to stop,” she said. “I believe that if that same sort of strategy were implemented on an educational level with various age groups, that it could also be effective for home lighting, business lighting and simply appreciation for what a valuable gift it is to have a dark sky where we see the stars.”
Village of Oak Creek Dark Skies Chair Mike Ryan said an important component of protecting dark skies is what citizens, businesses and corporations are doing on the ground. “I’m actually wondering if we could do rebates. It seems to me on the residential side of the business, it would be a good thing for the county or some other organization to provide rebates for people changing lighting fixtures and maybe for the corporate environment, tax credits because those are much larger projects, when you go to a hotel and say, ‘Can you change your lights?’”
Drew Carhart, a founding member of the Illinois Coalition for Responsible Outdoor Lighting (ICROL), who regularly visits Northern Arizona, participated in the discussion from his home outside Chicago. “If you live in an area where you can still see the stars, I think you do kind of take that for granted. There are people who have never seen the Milky Way, which is literally the truth. There’s probably 80% of the population around me now who have never seen the Milky Way or seen a thousand stars in the sky. If you live in an area where you see that, you may not realize how bad it is to not have that over you and how easily you can lose it.”
Through visioning sessions, the Coalition has been seeking input and participation from those interested in continuing and expanding efforts to support the dark skies value. “For decades, the Coalition set the stage to propel Flagstaff and Northern Arizona as a dark skies leader worldwide,” said Casuga. “They recognize the power of dark skies to inspire and engulf our senses. In protecting dark skies, science, art, culture, heritage, health and the economy are intertwined to touch our hearts and minds for generations.”
Jackson, who summarized the discussions, wrote, “Dark skies are bound up with the very identity of the region. For many, it is part of the regional legacy and way of life. Protection, preservation and promoting of dark skies supports the character of our region and gives us a unique regional selling point for visitors and businesses. The value we place on dark skies also supports our promotion of the region as one that fosters curiosity, cross-cultural understanding, exploration, creativity, critical thinking and appreciation for science and the environment.”
Participants in both sessions supported the idea that individuals and businesses moving into the region be made aware of the importance of dark skies to the local communities. QCBN
By Bonnie Stevens, QCBN
For more information, visit FlagstaffDarkSkies.org.