The ease with which people can help fight light pollution is boosting support for the cause, with three new Dark Skies Friendly Communities created and more waiting to be accredited across both the North York Moors National Park and the Howardian Hills National Landscape.
The Dark Skies Friendly Community initiative is run jointly by the National Park and the Howardian Hills Partnership. Through the scheme, around 2,500 people will soon be living within an accredited dark skies friendly community, which now includes the villages of Husthwaite, Lastingham and Sleightholme Dale. Soon, dozens more community and individual businesses will become accredited, including Bransdale and the villages of Goathland and Botton.
The latest Dark Skies Friendly Communities join the swelling ranks, which already include Ampleforth Abbey and the villages of Coxwold and Hawnby in the North York Moors, and Bulmer, Crayke and Terrington in the Howardian Hills.
A lightbulb moment
The Dark Skies Friendly Community scheme was introduced last year to recognise the efforts of neighbourhoods to protect and enhance the quality of the night sky. As part of this push, many lights have been changed to a dark sky-friendly standard. Taken together with individual lighting schemes, over 1,000 fixtures have been replaced across both the National Park and Howardian Hills, thanks to their respective dark sky projects.
Speaking ahead of the Dark Skies Fringe Festival, Dark Skies Lead Officer Mike Hawtin explains:
“We’ve been surprised at just how many communities want to become accredited but then it’s a compelling, do-able aspect of conservation.”
“Parish councils, residents and businesses realise that whereas solving other pollutant crises can seem overwhelming, altering external lights to become more dark skies friendly is something fairly simple and positive they can do, literally at a flick of a switch. It’s helped by the fact that more people now understand how reducing light pollution can enhance the tranquillity of an area as well as nature, wildlife and human health reaping the benefit too.”
Light work in the community
Under the scheme, communities commit to having a lighting audit carried out and undertake work on a demonstration project to ensure at least 60% of lights across the community meet the scheme’s standards. This could mean altering the angle of the beam, replacing fittings to minimise glare, or eliminating redundant fixtures. Each community will also hold a minimum of two outreach events a year, which can be as simple as organising a dark skies walk.
Alongside the community scheme, both protected landscapes are now making dark skies a key consideration within nature conservation and habitat creation projects, such as hedge planting and creating meadows. This follows research suggesting that the abundance of insects and nocturnal pollinators (such as moths) can be reduced by as much as 50% in brightly lit areas.
Ellie Hook, Manager of the Howardian Hills National Landscape, added:
“This scheme has caught the imagination of people across both the National Landscape and the National Park. Light pollution is an issue on both a local and global scale, affecting people and wildlife. Empowering communities to help raise awareness that we can be smarter with our lighting during night-time hours has found an enthusiastic audience. Some of the lighting projects we have supported as part of the scheme look fantastic – just showing what can be done.”
Husthwaite Village Hall before and after: showing how light pollution from external lighting can be reduced by use of shielded lights
Getting involved
The Dark Skies Fringe Festival runs from 24 October to 2 November, with events right across the North York Moors, Yorkshire Dales National Parks, and the Nidderdale and Howardian Hills National Landscapes.
Mike Hawtin commented:
“Our drive to protect the night sky goes far deeper than the fact that it makes the skies simply look beautiful. In fact, there are so many compelling reasons that any one of them might strike a chord with people – whether it’s the potential energy savings, the health and wellbeing benefits for nature and humans, or safeguarding the heritage of a place.
“The momentum is being helped by North Yorkshire Council’s own policy to make all street lighting dark skies friendly and, as we’ve said before, this is not about plunging us into complete darkness but looking at how we use lighting effectively and responsibly, so it’s used only where needed, avoiding harsh, scattered beams.”
More information on the festival and the scheme can be found on the Dark Skies Festival website and the North York Moors National Park website.
Adapted from a press release
