Darker Sky

26/01/2026

Great energy in Holwerd (Fryslân, NL) tonight. Residents, experts and local partners exploring how smarter lighting can protect biodiversity and strengthen the night. From awareness to action, together we make it darker where it matters. Proud to be part of the DARKER SKY journey.

01/01/2026

A wish for Europe, as we step into 2026.
In a world that rarely slows down, we wish Europe something precious; more darkness.
Darkness to rest.
Darkness to see the stars again.
Darkness where nature can breathe, navigate and recover.
Across Europe, more and more people are discovering that less light can mean more life. That smarter lighting strengthens communities, protects biodiversity and reconnects us with the rhythms of night and day.
May 2026 be a year in which cities, ports, villages and landscapes dare to dim the lights where they are not needed, and brighten what truly matters.
From the North Sea Region to the rest of Europe; we wish you darker nights, wiser light and clearer stars!
www.interregnorthsea.eu/darker-sky

24/11/2025

Become a Night Watcher and help restore the beauty of darkness
Across the North Sea Region, communities are rediscovering the quiet magic of the night. In the Netherlands, the Natuur en Milieufederaties have launched a nationwide Night Watcher training programme that will equip 250 Night Watchers to take action against light pollution and protect nocturnal nature.
It’s a bold civic movement with real transformative power. Exactly the kind of citizen-driven energy that resonates with what we aim for in DARKER SKY; restoring dark ecological corridors, strengthening biodiversity and rethinking how we light our towns, villages and landscapes.
On 1 December, they will host an online information evening presenting the training and inviting participants from across the country. For all DARKER SKY partners, this is a shining example of how community engagement can grow into a powerful force for change, and a model that can travel far beyond the Netherlands. Let’s keep sharing these bright ideas in service of a darker night.

Stel je een nacht voor waarin je weer duizenden sterren kunt zien, waarin vogels hun weg vinden en mensen uitgerust wakker worden. Dat is de droom van de Nacht van de Nacht – een Nederland waar de nacht weer ervaren wordt zoals die bedoeld is: donker, rustig en vol verwondering. Wil jij bijdragen ...

20/11/2025

The new DARKER SKY Newsletter is out!
A fresh edition filled with stories that glow in the dark. You’ll find new insights from our demonstrator sites, first impressions from the Light Pollution Knowledge Hub, updates from partners across the North Sea Region and a look ahead to the NSR-wide Light Challenge next summer. It’s a reminder of how much we’re achieving together; smarter lighting, stronger ecosystems and growing momentum from Brest to Aarhus.

As we enter the final active year of the DARKER SKY project, our team is working hard to bring our results to life and create lasting impact across the North Sea Region.

28/07/2025

What happens when future designers, storytellers and ecologists come together to tackle light pollution?
During her internship with the DARKER SKY project, wildlife management student Nienke Aal discovered how creative education can illuminate complex environmental challenges.
From co-design sessions to playful interventions like board games and animations, students at NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences explored the value of darkness; not just through facts and figures, but through wonder, emotion and dialogue.
“Awareness,” writes Nienke, “was treated as a shared learning process, where listening was just as important as designing.”
Read her full reflection on how imagination and collaboration can help us reconnect with nature and protect the night: https://www.interregnorthsea.eu/darker-sky/news/visualizing-light-pollution-how-education-creatively-contributes-to-awareness
Thanks a lot for your contribution to DARKER SKY Nienke!