Celebrating and Protecting Maine’s Dark Sky Legacy
Our Mission
Dark Sky Maine, a 501c3 nonprofit, promotes an appreciation of the night sky through education and by supporting measures that use appropriate lighting to provide security on the ground, promote the health of humans and nocturnal wildlife, while maintaining dark skies overhead.
By following the guidelines of current scientific research, we help Maine communities understand the benefits of efficient, safe lighting. Good lighting benefits healthy economic development and maintains Maine’s dark sky heritage.
LD 1934 An Act to Promote Responsible Outdoor Lighting
is now headed to the legislature for a vote.
Please contact your state representative and state senators and ask them to support this legislation now. You can use and adapt the text of the sample letter below. It will be up for a vote very soon!
You can find your representatives and senators here:
House: https://legislature.maine.gov/house/house/MemberProfiles/ListAlphaTown
Senate: https://legislature.maine.gov/senate-home-page/find-your-state-senator
Urgent Action: Contact your State Representative Now!
Protect Maine’s Night Skies from Light Pollution
Adopt sensible standards for outdoor lighting
Dear Representative _______________,
I support LD 1934, an act to promote responsible outdoor lighting and I would like you to support it too.
Maine enjoys some of the darkest skies in the eastern United States. As a result, we can enjoy stargazing, viewing the incredible beauty of the Milky Way, watch meteor showers, and sometimes see the remarkable displays of the aurora borealis. Maine’s dark skies are also used by birds during migration periods, and are key to the survival of insects such as fireflies and moths, frogs, peepers, bats, and nocturnal mammals.
We should not take the night sky for granted, however. Increased development and the proliferation of LED lights mean that Mainers are at risk of joining the 80% of North Americans who cannot see the Milky Way and lack the biodiversity of our Great State of Maine. Please protect Maine’s night skies, pass LD 1934 An Act to Promote Responsible Outdoor Lighting.
Sincerely,
<your name>
<your address, town, and zip>
<your phone number and email>
To learn about dark sky protection in Maine watch
Defending the Dark, a film by Tara Roberts Zabriskie.
The film Defending the Dark educates viewers on why it is important to preserve dark sky areas while emphasizing the unique dark sky environment of northern Maine.
Dark sky conservation benefits wildlife and their habitats, reduces health and safety risks to humans, saves energy, and reduces costs. Light pollution has devastating effects on migrating birds, native plants, and pollinators. Watch Defending the Dark below: