Dark sky destination
DARK SKY ADVOCATES ARE pushing for New Zealand to set a global precedent as the world’s first Dark Sky Nation. All over the country, communities are banding together to protect their nocturnal nightscapes from the insidious spread of light pollution, and momentum is growing.
Fourteen initiatives are currently underway, all aiming to gain formal recognition for the quality of their night skies from the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) in Tucson, Arizona. Founded in 1988, the IDA’s mission is to “preserve and protect the nighttime environment and our heritage of dark skies through environmentally responsible outdoor lighting”.
The New Zealand efforts include a really significant initiative to control light pollution across the Wairarapa region, so that it can gain accreditation as an International Dark Sky Reserve. If successful, it would be the largest on the planet, covering around 6,000 square kilometres.
“We’ve been working really hard now for eighteen months, just a group of volunteers,” said Lee Mauger, Chair of the Martinborough Dark Sky Society. “We’ve found the community here has been really supportive and so have the three councils [South Wairarapa, Masterton, Carterton]. We’ve got really good dark skies here and the community appreciated this, even though it was a bit taken
