Vienna Council marks Int'l Dark Sky Week with proclamation

This article was originally published April 12, 2023 and written by Brian Trompeter on Gazette Leader.

Thomas Reinert Jr., president of the International Dark-Sky Association, and Eileen Kragie, founder of Dark Sky Friends, pose with a proclamation honoring International Dark Sky Week, which Mayor Linda Colbert presented at Vienna Town Hall on April 10, 2023. Photo by Christina Tyler Wenks

Mayor Linda Colbert read a proclamation at the Vienna Town Council’s April 10 meeting honoring April 15 through 22 this year as International Dark Sky Week.

“The aesthetic beauty and wonder of a natural night sky is a shared heritage of all humankind and the experience of standing beneath a starry night sky inspires feelings of wonder and awe and encourages a growing interest in science and nature, especially among young people,” the proclamation read.

Virginia is home to the most “dark sky” parks east of the Mississippi River, according to the document. Many nocturnal animal species rely on undisturbed night environments so they can hunt, mate and thrive, it stated.

Scientists have established that light pollution wastes natural resources, has economic and environmental consequences, causes energy insecurity and negatively affects human health, according to the proclamation.

Colbert then presented a copy of the proclamation to Thomas Reinert Jr., president of the International Dark-Sky Association.