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Page 1 of 28 Dark sky parks, a new dimension for protected areas David Welch Chair, Dark Skies Advisory Group, IUCN tarlight 2012, Lake Tekapo, New Zealand, 11-13 June

Dark sky parks, a new dimension for protected areas

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Dark sky parks, a new dimension for protected areas. David Welch Chair, Dark Skies Advisory Group, IUCN. Starlight 2012, Lake Tekapo, New Zealand, 11-13 June. Overview. Context Appreciating our world under dark skies Ecological impacts of light pollution Main theme: protected areas - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Page 1: Dark sky parks, a new dimension for protected areas

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Dark sky parks,a new dimension for protected areas

David WelchChair, Dark Skies Advisory Group, IUCN

Starlight 2012, Lake Tekapo, New Zealand, 11-13 June

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Presentation purpose

Context• Appreciating our world under dark skies• Ecological impacts of light pollution

Main theme: protected areas• Why all parks and reserves should respect

dark sky principles• Dark sky parks• Park management implications

Overview

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Things to see under dark skies

• (Not just) stars• Planets and their moons• Comets• Meteors• Our moon• Zodiacal light, gegenschein• Aurorae• Lightning and sprites• Noctilucent clouds• Nocturnal wildlife• Bioluminescence• Satellites• Heritage landscapes• Other?

Bioluminescent protists and crustaceansVaadhoo Beach, Maldives

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What is light pollution?

Any artificial light outdoors

When is it a problem?• When impacts exceed benefits• When levels exceed safe thresholds

Benefits include:• Safe navigation, from

pedestrian to aviation• Commercial operations, e.g.

rail and storage yards• Appreciation of architecture• Outdoor recreation

Impacts include:• Ecological effects• Reduced visibility• Human health• Energy waste• Reduced security

Light pollution at sea

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9 reasons to combat light pollution

• Ecological integrity• Commemorative integrity• Astronomy, both scientific and amateur• Culture, mythology and ceremony• Energy efficiency• Wilderness experience• Landscape beauty• Human health• Safety and security

NN

N

NN

CCC

S

And how they apply to protected areas and sites

N Natural Areas (parks, reserves)C Cultural Sites and monumentsS Sites of Special Scientific Interest

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Archaeoastronomical heritage

UNESCO and IAU initiative

Proposal to add astronomy and starlight as world heritage values

Sites of outstanding value to world science

2010 - thematic study on heritage sites of astronomy

2012 - extended case studies in progress

Stonehenge, UK

Ulugh BegObservatory,

Uzbekistan

McClean BuildingCape Observatory,

South Africa

CaracolChichen Itza,

Mexico

www2.astronomicalheritage.org

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Ecology of the night

To truly value wild creatures in the wild, we must respect

their need for natural darkness

Firefly

Loggerhead turtle

Brown bear

Boreal owl

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Ecological impacts of light pollution3 levels: individual, species, ecosystem

Lights that distract and kill• Insects: street lamps and porch lights• Birds: transmisson towers, skyscrapers and oil platforms• Mammals: road kill

Interference with reproductive behaviour• Amphibians and birds: mating calls reduced, movement increased• Corals: sky glow may reduce spawning• Sea turtles: disturbance to egg-laying and hatchling orientation

Interference with predators/prey relationships• Storm-petrels and shearwaters: increased predation by gulls • Salmon: increased predation by harbour seals

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Impacts on birds

A bird's-eye view of the forest and the urban jungle

Warblers in search lights at Dakota Dunes

Casino

Collisions with lighted windows, towers and guy wires. 100 million fatalities/year in North America

Insectivorous birds attracted to insects around lamps, more collisions between birds

Confused navigation, exhaustion, failure to reach intended staging areas

SolutionsBuildings: light curfewsTowers: strobes better than steady; red

or amber better than white

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Impacts on plants

Short day plants

A short light break at night can simulate a day

Continuous light weakens resistance to disease:

leaf chlorosis and necrosis; starch

metabolism and chlorophyll synthesis altered

Photoperiodism in trees

Shortening days in Fall stimulate bud growth

for next season

Light at night may keep leaf stomata open,

increasing sensitivity to ground level ozone

Elm-leafed goldenrod

Red maple

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Why all parks should be dark sky parks

Ecosystems run 24 hoursEcosystem management must think about the dark tooVisitor experience: the night should be part of wilderness

and natural landscape appreciationVisitor attraction opportunities, especially for one-visit parks

such as historic sitesRespect for aboriginal cultural traditions

Low-hanging fruitThere are other issues, but light pollution prevention is a

low-cost, high-gain issue, especially in terms of public participation, conservation messages, cooperative science and learning

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What is a dark sky park?A protected natural area or cultural site with:

• Within the park, protocols and practices for light pollution prevention, such as plans, guidelines, darkness monitoring, enforcement

• Within the viewshed, outreach/education programmes and cooperative agreements to reduce sky glow and light trespass

And with most or all of:

• Night sky appreciation activities, such as scientific and amateur astronomy, outreach programmes

• Nocturnal ecology interpretation, guided observations, research and monitoring

• Significant commemorative or ecological values closely linked to night sky viewing or natural darkness

• Good accessibility for general public participation

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Dark sky park movement

1993 - first temporary dark sky park, Lake Hudson State Park, Michigan

1999 - US Nat’l Park Service Natural Sounds and Night Skies Program

1999 - first permanent dark sky park, Torrance Barrens, Ontario

2005 - Royal Astronomical Society of Canada dark sky preserves

2005 - UNESCO Astronomy and World Heritage Initiative

2007 - Int’l Dark Sky Ass’n dark sky parks, reserves, communities

2007 - Starlight Initiative - Starlight conferences and declaration

2008 - Initiative for an International Association of Dark Sky Parks

2009 - IUCN Dark Skies Advisory Group

2010 - World Heritage thematic study on archaeoastronomy

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RASC dark sky designations

www.rasc.ca/lpa

Dark Sky PreserveAn area in which no artificial lighting is visible and with active measures to educate and promote the reduction of light pollution to the public and nearby municipalities. Human-caused sky glow from outside the preserve is of comparable intensity, or less, than that of natural sky glow.14 declared

Urban Star ParkAn area in which artificial lighting is strictly controlled and with active measures to educate and promote the reduction of light pollution to the public and nearby municipalities. Sky glow from beyond the borders may be visible within the area.1 declared

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International Dark Sky Association

• Started 1988 in Arizona

• Focus on astronomy and light pollution ordinances

• 2007 - International Dark Sky Places Program

• Certifies locations with exceptional nightscapes • 10 International Dark Sky Parks• 5 International Dark Sky Reserves• 4 International Dark Sky Communities

www.darksky.org

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Starlight Initiative

www.starlight2007.net

• International campaign for the right to observe the stars• Open to scientific, cultural, environmental and citizen organizations,

public institutions and private bodies• Cooperation in the conservation of clear night skies• Dissemination of knowledge

Principal promoters• Canary Islands Astrophysical Institute• La Palma Biosphere Reserve (Spain)• Canary Islands Government and Spanish Ministry of Environment• UNESCO Canary Islands Centre• International Astronomical Union

Activities• Starlight Foundation, Spain - 4 starlight reserves declared• Since 2007 - international conferences and working group

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Initiative for an International Association of Dark Sky Parks

www.darkskyparks.org

• Started 2008 in Slovenia and Croatia

• Representatives of protected areas, NGOs and the lighting industry

• Experts in biology, natural and cultural heritage, tourism and ecotourism

• Annual symposia and dark-sky camp

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IUCN Dark Skies Advisory Group

www.dsag.darkskyparks.org

General role/objective - advice to IUCN and others12 members from 8 countries

Motion for World Conservation CongressAdvice to IDA Sark Sky Places Program

World list of dark sky parks and reserves• Country, Name• Central latitude and longitude• Constituent protected sites and areas• Management agency• Recognizing body, date of recognition• Web site

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The list to dateJune 10th 2012

Canada

15Czech Rep

1Hungary

2Namibia

1New Zealand

1Poland

1Slovakia

1Spain

4UK

2USA

9

Total

37

Plus several IDA dark sky communitiesPlus many de facto dark sky parks and communities

La Rioja Starlight Reserve,Spain

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Torrance Barrens Dark Sky Preserve• Ontario provincial conservation reserve since

1977• Muskoka Heritage Foundation initiative• Canada's first dark sky preserve, 1999• Other conservation reserves in central Ontario

also have dark sky protection policies• All six Muskoka townships regulate dark-sky

friendly lighting practices

www.muskokaheritage.org/programs/dark-skies/torrance-barrens/

Hard granite substrateNo hills or valleysIsolated from local glare2-3 hours drive from citiesNo sky glowDesignated observation areaStar parties

Star party at Torrance Barrens

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What does being a dark sky park involve?

Dark sky values integrated within plans

• Park management plans

• Community plans

• Site plans

Outdoor lighting standards

Visitor engagement

Wilderness astronomy

Outreach and external relations

Cooperative research and monitoring -

ecology of the night, scotobiology

NamibRand Nature Reserve, Namibia

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Visitor engagement

• Night ecology talks and hikes

• Night sky talks, including cultural traditions and myths

• Star parties

• Static displays

• Travelling planetaria, audio-visual presentations

• Wilderness astronomy

• Citizen science

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What should be in outdoor lighting standards?

Guidelines• Illumination levels - minimum necessary• Colour of illumination - amber or red• Extent of illumination - targeted, no spillage or glare• Duration of the illumination - curfews• Use of retro-reflecting materials - roadways• Use of fluorescent materials -pathway markers• Tower navigation avoidance beacons - flashing red• Light pollution abatement beyond park boundaries - outreach• Shorelines - avoid reflections

Specific cases• Buildings• Parking lots• Roadways• Pathways• Campgrounds• Shore zones• Other properties• Historic sites• Wilderness areas• Signage

Suggested appendices• Reference illumination levels• Colour from various lamp types• Comparative light output from typical bulbs• Approximate times of sunset• Navigation light photometric distribution

Photoluminescent road markers at Mont-Mégantic IDSR

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Summary• Dark sky protection is an

emerging and growing movement

• Natural fit with protected areas

• Main focus still on astronomy

• Canada and USA lead

• Most DSPs are small

• Some urban communities manage light pollution, but …

• Only one urban star park

• Reserve approach is the best:• Core protected area plus

surrounding community

Hunting the Futureby First Nations artist, poet

and illustrator Michael Robinson, Canada

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Page 28 of 28Northern Lights by Tom Thompson, Canada, 1877-1917