Dark Sky Lights - Why Bother?

Wildcat Mountain, Kickapoo Valley Reserve and Tunnelville Cliffs are moving steadily to getting accredited as an International Dark Sky Park. But why bother spending so much time - literally years now - on this effort? Why spend so much time educating and assisting surrounding home and business owners, counties and villages about ways to make their lighting “full cutoff” and make other small changes to reduce glare and light spill? There are several answers but perhaps none as obvious as the one demonstrated by this photograph taken this week by Dave Delap of the Milky Way appearing over Mt. Pisgah in Wildcat Mountain State Park. It’s safe to say that it’s awe inspiring to realize such beauty at night is accessible to those of us who live here and those who visit. Hopefully it inspires you to learn what “Dark Sky” lighting is and to buy the right fixtures and use them appropriately so these views don’t become history but instead are able to awe the generations not yet born. Thank you Dave for sharing your incredible talent with us by capturing this image and others!