Dark Sky CHI

01/28/2025

Congrats to the Plainfield Riverfront Foundation working with the Village Board and Staff to install Dark Sky Compliant lighting along the riverfront path!
These responsible lights will be fully shielded, dimmable, warm-colored, and motion-detecting: bringing safe lighting for all species who frequent the river. 🐟 🌳 🐦 🚶‍♀️ 🐝 ✨

12/26/2024

Pop quiz: which city with a population of 500,000+ has virtually ZERO skyglow thanks to its Dark Sky ordinances and responsible lighting practices?

11/02/2024

All the love for the mindful and demure outdoor lighting at ✨ this pathway lighting meets the guidelines designed to protect living creatures and our starry night sky while maintaining safety for guests on these mountain paths 🏔️🌒

Restrict the amount of upward-directed light
Avoid glare
Avoid over-lighting
Utilize dimming and other appropriate lighting controls
Minimize short-wavelength (bluish) light in the nighttime environment

05/06/2024

If you were driving in a car... which fixture would allow you to see the pedestrian the best?
Which color temperature makes you "feel" more relaxed?
Answer in the comments!

05/03/2024

Light pollution wastes a significant amount of energy and resources. Many outdoor lights are left on unnecessarily, contributing to light pollution and increasing electricity bills. We can combat light pollution and reduce our impact on the environment by just flipping a switch! For more info, Check out these posts!
https://buff.ly/3K1mv4h
https://buff.ly/44l1Zou

04/30/2024

Dark Sky Week might be over... but the celebrations are not! Congrats to Plainfield, Illinois for their Dark Sky Advocacy through proclamations, resolutions, education, and events! For more info on how you can support DarkSky advocacy in the Greater Chicagoland Area, head to idachicago.org

03/31/2024

Show the world your support for dark skies and the protection of nighttime environments: Sign the DarkSky Pledge

"I pledge to protect the night by following the Five Principles for Responsible Outdoor Lighting, using lights only when and where I need them, and learning more about the impacts of artificial light on wildlife, habitats, and my community."

This simple activity takes no time at all! Show the world your support for dark skies and the protection of nighttime environments by linking your name to the cause.

03/29/2024

People all over the world are living under the nighttime glow of artificial light, and it is causing big problems for humans, wildlife, and the environment. There is a global movement to reduce light pollution, and everyone can help.

03/26/2024

Congratulations to Openlands, The Conservation Fund and Illinois Audubon Society on their acquisition of the 985-acre Tamarack Farms and a big THANK YOU 🙌 for their ongoing conservation work in the Bortle 9* territory of Chicagoland and surrounding environs.

*What's Bortle 9? Learn more here: https://www.idachicago.org/resources/bortle-scale

The Conservation Fund, Illinois Audubon Society and Openlands announced the purchase of the 985-acre Tamarack Farms, which will now become the single largest property within McHenry County’s Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge.

03/21/2024

Ever heard of scotobiology? The term was coined in 2003 to describe the study of the biological need for darkness. Scotobiologists gather data on everything from frogs to fungi, wildflowers and humans. An ever-growing body of evidence points to the importance of darkness at night and natural light during the day. (Photo by Dave Huth/Flickr)

03/15/2024

In what would be a first step toward darker skies in Illinois, state representatives may consider a bill this session that would regulate lighting at roads, buildings and other spaces that fall under the Department of Natural Resources

The legislation’s sponsor, Naperville Democrat Senator Laura Ellman , introduced the Outdoor Lighting Control Act this legislative session after learning about light pollution’s dangerous effects on wildlife — particularly birds. With the Chicago metro area smack in the middle of one of the continent’s major bird migratory routes, the artificial lights of the urban landscape is a major contributor to bird deaths.

But Ellman’s bill would restrict lighting only for new projects out of the state Department of Natural Resources, whether it’s a building renovation or parking lot construction. The bill originally proposed regulating the lighting on or in all new state-owned or funded roads, buildings and other spaces, but Ellman admended the legislation to limit the scope.

“My intent is to expand it over the course of the years,” she said. “We're going to start small, see how it goes. Things in Springfield are incremental, so we'll start here and then expand the requirements to more and more agencies so that Illinois can take the lead on something that I think is just starting to take hold and gain interest around the country.”

Ellman, who chairs the environment and conservation committee, said she hopes to have the bill assigned and passed out of committee before April.

Read more in the Daily Herald https://buff.ly/3IDeUrJ

02/28/2024

After discovering a dearth of data in the light pollution research community, Walczak began studying the issue in 2015 as part of the planetarium’s Far Horizons program.

To begin closing the gap in information, Walczak leads volunteers and students in conducting high-altitude balloon missions in which the balloons carry a camera high into the stratosphere. With the resulting images — a single mission generates between 60,000 and 70,000 photos — the team is looking to create a regional map of light pollution.

Walczak, who is also a board member of nonprofit DarkSky International and co-founder of the local DarkSky Chicago chapter, added that his passion for dark skies also comes from a deep appreciation for our connection to the universe.

“I want people to care about the night and care about the sky,” he said. “It's so rare that any kid these days has ever seen a real natural night sky. You could imagine what that means for just our connection to the universe where we find some feeling of belonging and connection to history. We used to navigate through the stars, and now most of the kids we work with don't even think of looking up in the night.”
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Dark Sky CHI advocates Ken Walczak and Valerie Blaine speak up in the Naperville Daily Herald for Chicagoland dark skies:

When you flip on your bright porch lights each night, you could be doing more than muddying your view of the Milky Way: Unnecessary light disrupts wildlife, affects human health and contributes to cli...