Restoring Darkness NAILD

Highlights from this episode:FDA DenialsThere’s an App for ThatPauses and Paws at the BorderStressed RodentsSponsored by Evlumahttps://evluma.com/dark-sky-friendly-lighting/Intro and outro music by Doctor Turtle Headlines and Sources at restoringdarkness.com

Beautiful Merrymeeting Bay in Maine, is an important area for wildlife habitat, and for humans. For decades, people have enjoyed a pristine view of the night sky - until the local electrical utility replaced two towers and lit them up, right at the iconic Chops, lighting the area for miles around. Ed and the Friends of Merrymeeting Bay got that changed, but they ended up out of the frying pan and into the fire with an aircraft radar detection system. And the battle continues. On the Friends of Merrymeeting Bay (FOMB) Steering Committee since the winter of 1993, Ed has been Chair since 1996. In this work he has written major grants and initiated projects in the areas of land conservation, research, advocacy, and education. Two projects, Aquatic & Upland Habitat Assessment of Merrymeeting Bay over time utilizing historical and current aerial photography combined with GIS to look at land use and vegetation changes over time; and Caged Bivalve Studies on the Kennebec and Androscoggin to monitor PCBs and dioxins, have been the first projects of their type in the state of Maine and quite successful. A multi-year Circulation Study of the Bay and six tributaries was also a major accomplishment. Most recently FOMB has been on the cutting edge of affordable PFAS sampling. 

Patrick is the DarkSky International delegate in the Fargo North Dakota area. Patrick has found that framing the light pollution argument around astronomy, animal life, ecosystems, etc. can cause some audiences to nod off and glaze over. What gets everyone’s attention is “light trespass,” and human health. Lead with that and then people will listen to the other reasons why light pollution is a problem. And of course, there is the one argument that gets EVERYONE’S attention. Turn off your lights and save money! Patrick Sommer has been a lifelong enthusiast for the night sky, space exploration, and in late 2019 translated that enthusiasm into an application to be a delegate for the International Dark-Sky Association, now known as DarkSky International. Representing the organization in the Fargo, North Dakota area, by 2020 he was working social media accounts and as the world moved in and out of COVID restrictions getting in front of local sustainability and astronomy clubs. Additionally, he has represented the night to the now dormant Red River Valley Climate Action Committee and presented information on light pollution to the City of Fargo’s Sustainability and Resiliency Committee and the City of Moorhead’s Streetlight subcommittee. Of late he has been active with Starry Skies North, a conglomerate of Dark Sky enthusiast and activists based in Duluth and Minneapolis, Minnesota. Connect with Patrick: @StarrySkiesND on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter/Xhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-sommer-28926b58/ Connect with The Soft Lights Foundation: https://www.softlights.org 

The Darkness News Update is a biweekly series that explores current events in light at night – be it biological research, new developments in lamps, actions by advocates, and changes in policy.Highlights from this episode:Going Back to CourtNew PoliciesMigrationsEmailSponsored by Evlumahttps://evluma.com/dark-sky-friendly-lighting/Intro and outro music by Doctor Turtle Headlines and sources for this episode can be found on restoringdarkness.com

Nearly all animals see light differently than we do. Dr. Seymour endeavors to understand how light drives organismal behavior. To that end, he tries to bridge the gap between astronomers, light engineers and biologists. Each of these camps has elements of tools and measurement models that he thinks could be brought together collaboratively and synergistically to benefit our ecosystem and the study of it.Dr. Seymoure’s research program is interdisciplinary and combines physiological, histological, and astronomical methods to understand the importance of natural light as well as the consequences of artificial light on animal behavior and ecology of animals. Overall objectives of his research are to: 1) determine how light cycles have driven visual adaptations and predator-prey dynamics; 2) quantify and investigate the myriad effects and consequences of artificial light at night on animals (mostly insects, spiders, and reptiles) from the cellular to landscape level; 3) investigate visual and morphological (e.g. coloration) adaptations that render individuals more evolutionarily successful; 4) develop techniques for quantifying light in a non-human and biologically relevant manner; 5) quantify and monitor insect populations in the Chihuahuan desert; and 6) utilize current biological research to increase learning efficacy in undergraduate courses. To accomplish these objectives, Dr. Seymoure relies upon both field and laboratory work that ranges from electrophysiology of animal eyes, automated video tracking of animal behavior, and predator-prey experiments under natural conditions.

The Darkness News Update is a biweekly series that explores current events in light at night – be it biological research, new developments in lamps, actions by advocates, and changes in policy.Highlights from this episode:Self DriveBike TrailsBeer RunMoth TrapsSponsored by EvlumaIntro and outro music by Doctor Turtle