1 00:00:06,066 --> 00:00:06,566 -Hi, I'm -Eric Ford for Made here. 2 00:00:07,600 --> 00:00:08,433 -Defending the Dark -from director, 3 00:00:09,866 --> 00:00:12,066 -Tara Zabriskie focuses on -preserving dark sky areas 4 00:00:13,000 --> 00:00:13,533 -in northern Maine. 5 00:00:15,066 --> 00:00:18,133 -The film examines efforts -to reduce light pollution, 6 00:00:18,133 --> 00:00:19,666 -which has benefits -for wildlife 7 00:00:19,666 --> 00:00:22,800 -and their habitats, reduces -health and safety risks 8 00:00:22,800 --> 00:00:25,033 -to humans, and saves -energy and reduce costs. 9 00:00:26,100 --> 00:00:26,500 -You can watch -Defending the Dark 10 00:00:27,966 --> 00:00:29,766 -and other great made Here -films 11 00:00:29,766 --> 00:00:32,733 -streaming on our website -and through the PBS app. 12 00:00:32,733 --> 00:00:35,766 -Enjoy the film -and thanks for watching. 13 00:00:44,333 --> 00:00:47,166 -This program is supported -in part by the Maine Outdoor 14 00:00:47,166 --> 00:00:48,200 -Heritage Fund -and Your True Nature. 15 00:00:49,533 --> 00:00:50,066 -Committed -to sharing the wisdom 16 00:00:51,100 --> 00:00:51,633 -of the Earth -through advice for life, 17 00:00:52,866 --> 00:00:54,433 -greeting cards, bookmarks, -stickers and magnets. 18 00:00:56,500 --> 00:01:00,100 -The dark sky really to me, 19 00:01:00,100 --> 00:01:03,833 -just takes -us back to a place -where we can actually sit, 20 00:01:03,833 --> 00:01:07,100 -look up and just hear nature -at night 21 00:01:07,100 --> 00:01:10,866 -and see the sky and realize -that that's one thing that 22 00:01:10,866 --> 00:01:14,366 -the world hasn't changed -for indigenous people. 23 00:01:14,366 --> 00:01:16,766 -If you look on the map, 24 00:01:16,766 --> 00:01:18,633 -the light pollution -that Maine -has, this black hole, 25 00:01:18,633 --> 00:01:22,200 -and that's -because we have an area 26 00:01:22,200 --> 00:01:24,966 -that has -little light pollution -and we have very dark skies. 27 00:01:24,966 --> 00:01:26,833 -We need to connect 28 00:01:26,833 --> 00:01:29,866 -people as a whole -with the environment 29 00:01:29,866 --> 00:01:31,433 -and to really understand -that we don't own it. 30 00:01:32,933 --> 00:01:33,400 -We don't control it, 31 00:01:34,566 --> 00:01:36,466 -but we have a tremendous -impact on it. 32 00:01:36,466 --> 00:01:39,766 -So anything that's evolved -over billions of years 33 00:01:39,766 --> 00:01:42,833 -to be nocturnal, -like school of medicine, 34 00:01:42,833 --> 00:01:44,800 -if we preserve the sky, -we're preserving the sky, 35 00:01:44,800 --> 00:01:47,266 -the that -our great grandparents saw. 36 00:01:47,266 --> 00:01:50,266 -And if we lose it, -we're losing that sense of 37 00:01:50,266 --> 00:01:51,133 -where we are. 38 00:01:57,900 --> 00:02:00,166 -I moved back home to -Maine, 39 00:02:00,166 --> 00:02:03,433 -the coast of Maine -in the early 2000s, 40 00:02:03,433 --> 00:02:06,433 -and one night I got -out of the car and looked up 41 00:02:06,433 --> 00:02:11,766 -and I was like, oh my gosh, -the Milky Way, this is. 42 00:02:11,766 --> 00:02:15,966 -The stars were so bright -and the sky was so black. 43 00:02:15,966 --> 00:02:18,600 -It was an -ah moment. 44 00:02:18,600 --> 00:02:21,533 -you know, our species has -been in the dark at night 45 00:02:22,500 --> 00:02:25,000 -forever. -Until 100 years ago. 46 00:02:25,000 --> 00:02:26,233 -So I know -when I look up at night 47 00:02:27,000 --> 00:02:29,033 -and I'm in a dark area 48 00:02:29,033 --> 00:02:33,300 -that really brings -out the stars and 49 00:02:33,300 --> 00:02:35,266 have an understanding -of star stories that exist 50 00:02:35,266 --> 00:02:36,866 within our tribes, 51 00:02:36,866 --> 00:02:38,566 -really -helps me to understand 52 00:02:38,566 --> 00:02:40,600 -what my ancestors were -probably thinking, because 53 00:02:42,233 --> 00:02:44,933 -the dark sky -really tells a story, 54 00:02:44,933 --> 00:02:47,600 -and the stars -are that story, 55 00:02:47,600 --> 00:02:49,700 -and those stories -really have a relationship 56 00:02:49,700 --> 00:02:51,000 -to who we are as a people. 57 00:02:52,600 --> 00:02:54,333 If we lose the night -sky, we lose, you know, 58 00:02:54,333 --> 00:02:56,033 !an elimental part of who we are. 59 00:02:56,033 --> 00:02:59,066 -We need to find ways to. -Make sure 60 00:02:59,066 --> 00:03:02,033 -we conserve that sky. 61 00:03:05,600 --> 00:03:08,366 -This area, 62 00:03:08,366 --> 00:03:11,133 -surrounding -Katahdin, has the largest -areas of dark sky 63 00:03:11,133 --> 00:03:12,433 -east of the Mississippi -River. 64 00:03:12,433 --> 00:03:13,866 -There's -little light pollution, 65 00:03:13,866 --> 00:03:14,533 -and you can see -the Milky Way. 66 00:03:17,400 --> 00:03:19,266 -And you can see stars here 67 00:03:19,266 --> 00:03:20,700 -that you can't see -on most of the East Coast. 68 00:03:20,700 --> 00:03:24,266 -I have paddled -from Mount Katahdin 69 00:03:24,266 --> 00:03:27,833 -and just like to North -Haven Island five times, 70 00:03:27,833 --> 00:03:31,366 -it's an enormous amount -of river and ocean. 71 00:03:31,366 --> 00:03:34,166 -And really -part of that experience 72 00:03:34,166 --> 00:03:37,900 -was for me to look at 73 00:03:37,900 --> 00:03:41,666 -sort of these landmarks, -these things that happened 74 00:03:41,666 --> 00:03:45,666 -traditionally -before contact period, 75 00:03:45,666 --> 00:03:48,633 -so that I could observe -or understand a little bit 76 00:03:48,633 --> 00:03:50,766 -about what -my ancestors might have 77 00:03:50,766 --> 00:03:52,166 -gone through or seen. 78 00:03:52,166 --> 00:03:52,600 -What's the same, -what's different? 79 00:03:53,966 --> 00:03:54,766 -One of the things that 80 00:03:56,133 --> 00:03:57,700 -can't be 81 00:03:57,700 --> 00:03:58,200 -changed yet, and 82 00:03:59,600 --> 00:04:01,566 -that's great, is they -haven't altered the sky. 83 00:04:01,566 --> 00:04:05,066 -And, you know, business -industry, government 84 00:04:05,066 --> 00:04:08,600 -has not altered what we see -when we look up at night. 85 00:04:08,600 --> 00:04:12,766 -What they have done, though, -is made it a little harder 86 00:04:12,766 --> 00:04:15,733 -for us to see that sky -at night in certain areas. 87 00:04:18,066 --> 00:04:20,466 -So dark sky preservation, 88 00:04:20,466 --> 00:04:23,666 -which sounds like it's about -bringing the stars back, 89 00:04:23,666 --> 00:04:25,100 -which it does, is really -about a much bigger issue. 90 00:04:27,233 --> 00:04:27,700 -So here's the thing. 91 00:04:29,233 --> 00:04:31,700 -If you can't see the stars, -which, by the way, is true 92 00:04:31,700 --> 00:04:33,966 -for 80% of the world's -population, 93 00:04:33,966 --> 00:04:35,666 -that's -the symptom of the problem. 94 00:04:35,666 --> 00:04:37,233 -But that's indicative 95 00:04:37,233 --> 00:04:38,200 -of the fact -that there's too much 96 00:04:38,200 --> 00:04:38,766 -artificial light 97 00:04:40,033 --> 00:04:42,066 -being produced -and being sprayed out 98 00:04:42,066 --> 00:04:44,200 -in places -where it's not needed. 99 00:04:44,200 --> 00:04:46,000 -So what are the impacts -of that? 100 00:04:46,000 --> 00:04:47,366 -Well, yes, -we lose the stars, 101 00:04:47,366 --> 00:04:49,300 -but that's our symptom. 102 00:04:49,300 --> 00:04:52,000 -The real problems, -cover many different areas. 103 00:04:52,000 --> 00:04:54,933 -So let me hit a few of those -pretty quickly here. 104 00:04:54,933 --> 00:04:57,466 -One is if you live -in a light polluted area, 105 00:04:57,466 --> 00:04:59,800 -you are at increased risk of -breast or prostate cancer 106 00:04:59,800 --> 00:05:01,700 -because it -affects your body chemistry. 107 00:05:03,600 --> 00:05:06,100 -it has been -tied to other forms -of hormonal cancers. 108 00:05:06,100 --> 00:05:09,233 -It's been tied to problems -with adolescent development 109 00:05:09,233 --> 00:05:11,000 -because it affects -sleep cycles. 110 00:05:11,000 --> 00:05:14,200 -So it has just direct -medical effects on people. 111 00:05:14,200 --> 00:05:16,266 -excessive -light produces glare. 112 00:05:16,266 --> 00:05:17,800 -So a lot of road lights 113 00:05:17,800 --> 00:05:20,166 -which aren't done -well produce glare. 114 00:05:20,166 --> 00:05:21,766 -a lot of lights on parking 115 00:05:21,766 --> 00:05:23,733 -lots produce -a lot of glare light. 116 00:05:23,733 --> 00:05:24,633 -gas stations are famous for -being grossly overweight. 117 00:05:25,933 --> 00:05:27,933 -All of these are creating -glare and actually 118 00:05:27,933 --> 00:05:29,033 -making it more dangerous -to be on the road. 119 00:05:30,633 --> 00:05:33,333 -So those are just a couple -of things -that affect humans, 120 00:05:33,333 --> 00:05:34,233 -birds and insects -pollination, 121 00:05:35,466 --> 00:05:37,200 -which we desperately need. 122 00:05:37,200 --> 00:05:38,700 -It's not just for -pretty flowers and trees, 123 00:05:38,700 --> 00:05:40,533 -but your food has to be -pollinated. 124 00:05:40,533 --> 00:05:42,733 -Some insect -or bird has to bring 125 00:05:42,733 --> 00:05:43,533 -the right stuff -from one plant to another. 126 00:05:46,000 --> 00:05:48,033 -Plant that can be lowered -by as much as 60% in areas 127 00:05:48,033 --> 00:05:48,766 -that are light polluted. 128 00:05:50,400 --> 00:05:52,400 -So moths are pollinators. 129 00:05:52,400 --> 00:05:54,866 -So a lot of times -people think of moths, 130 00:05:54,866 --> 00:05:57,966 -just the caterpillars that -might do damage to a crop. 131 00:05:57,966 --> 00:06:01,700 -But really, as we start -studying more about moths, 132 00:06:01,700 --> 00:06:03,866 -we're realizing -that we've really studied 133 00:06:03,866 --> 00:06:06,566 -those diurnal creatures, -that it's daytime creatures 134 00:06:06,566 --> 00:06:07,166 -like the bees -and the butterflies. 135 00:06:09,433 --> 00:06:11,666 -We haven't really touched -moths, so they just started 136 00:06:11,666 --> 00:06:13,033 really studying them. -And what they're noticing is 137 00:06:13,033 --> 00:06:13,533 that moths are 138 00:06:14,500 --> 00:06:15,633 -incredibly -important pollinators. 139 00:06:15,633 --> 00:06:17,300 -Unlike a bee, 140 00:06:17,300 --> 00:06:21,133 -where bees can be -very specific to a plant, 141 00:06:21,133 --> 00:06:23,566 -or they find a food source -and they're like going 142 00:06:23,566 --> 00:06:24,866 -to stay with that food -source. 143 00:06:24,866 --> 00:06:26,300 -Moths are not like that. 144 00:06:26,300 --> 00:06:26,666 -They're actually -very generalist. 145 00:06:28,266 --> 00:06:30,333 -And so they'll go from plant -to plant 146 00:06:30,333 --> 00:06:33,600 -and that kind of spreading -of pollen across 147 00:06:33,600 --> 00:06:35,766 -an ecosystem -is incredibly important. 148 00:06:38,566 --> 00:06:40,100 -We don't -have as many fireflies 149 00:06:40,100 --> 00:06:40,633 -as we used to have. 150 00:06:43,533 --> 00:06:44,433 -over a billion birds die -each year trying to migrate 151 00:06:45,666 --> 00:06:47,566 because they get trapped -in the lights of cities 152 00:06:47,566 --> 00:06:48,666 or get misdirected 153 00:06:48,666 --> 00:06:50,466 -and can't navigate. 154 00:06:50,466 --> 00:06:52,066 -Most songbirds, in fact, -migrate in, in the darkness 155 00:06:54,800 --> 00:06:55,233 -and then migrate at night 156 00:06:55,966 --> 00:06:57,600 -and in the places 157 00:06:57,600 --> 00:06:59,100 -where they're cities -and lights, 158 00:06:59,100 --> 00:07:00,000 -they get really thrown off -course. 159 00:07:01,566 --> 00:07:04,066 -So when in fact, -when they did, 160 00:07:04,066 --> 00:07:05,400 -when the Twin Towers -came down 161 00:07:05,400 --> 00:07:07,466 -and they put up -the two beams of light, 162 00:07:07,466 --> 00:07:08,366 -they saw fatalities rise -among birds 163 00:07:09,100 --> 00:07:09,500 -that were flying down 164 00:07:11,666 --> 00:07:13,533 -through the flyway -of the East Coast, 165 00:07:13,533 --> 00:07:15,433 -just thousands -of birds dying. 166 00:07:15,433 --> 00:07:18,600 -And it really was just -two lights in the sky 167 00:07:18,600 --> 00:07:21,533 -that changed. 168 00:07:27,566 --> 00:07:31,500 -So amphibians are nocturnal -and they breed in darkness, 169 00:07:31,500 --> 00:07:33,266 -and that's what they -they need. 170 00:07:33,266 --> 00:07:36,333 -And what you'll notice -actually, in ponds, 171 00:07:36,333 --> 00:07:38,933 -like if you come up -to a pond 172 00:07:38,933 --> 00:07:41,566 -that's full of -frog song and spring -and you have flashlights, 173 00:07:41,566 --> 00:07:43,933 -it silences them -almost immediately. 174 00:07:43,933 --> 00:07:47,100 -you'll see that in places 175 00:07:47,100 --> 00:07:49,766 -where -there is a lot of light, -they have a harder time -with mating in that area. 176 00:07:49,766 --> 00:07:50,633 -And those amphibians -make such a big difference 177 00:07:52,633 --> 00:07:54,833 -in all the animals, like -the insects they're eating. 178 00:07:54,833 --> 00:07:57,300 -And they're -just they're a huge impact. 179 00:08:01,133 --> 00:08:03,833 -So it -has tremendous effects -on the natural environment. 180 00:08:03,833 --> 00:08:06,966 -Then, of course, -to make extra light, 181 00:08:06,966 --> 00:08:09,066 -you have to make -electricity. 182 00:08:09,066 --> 00:08:10,766 -So here's the thing. 183 00:08:10,766 --> 00:08:13,933 -For every 100W of lighting -that's on for a year 184 00:08:13,933 --> 00:08:17,100 -requires burning a ton -of coal in a power plant. 185 00:08:18,266 --> 00:08:20,366 -And Americans, -believe it or not, spend 186 00:08:20,366 --> 00:08:23,900 -$3 billion a year -paying for electricity 187 00:08:23,900 --> 00:08:26,766 -to put on lighting -that's going up in the sky. 188 00:08:28,766 --> 00:08:32,000 -So the beautiful thing -about this problem, compared 189 00:08:32,000 --> 00:08:36,700 -to many others is, number -one, curing it saves money. 190 00:08:36,700 --> 00:08:39,133 -You're using smaller bulbs -that are putting light 191 00:08:39,133 --> 00:08:42,233 -on only when -and where you need it. 192 00:08:42,233 --> 00:08:45,433 -They use less power -so the fixtures are cheaper. 193 00:08:45,433 --> 00:08:47,000 -The electricity use is down. 194 00:08:47,000 --> 00:08:48,533 -That saves you money. 195 00:08:48,533 --> 00:08:50,300 -And when you do these -things, 196 00:08:50,300 --> 00:08:51,500 -the results are immediate. 197 00:08:51,500 --> 00:08:53,533 -If you turn the lights off, 198 00:08:53,533 --> 00:08:55,800 -everything comes back -right away, right? 199 00:08:55,800 --> 00:08:57,866 -The birds and the insects -will find their plants. 200 00:08:57,866 --> 00:09:01,233 -The stars will come back, -the glare will go away. 201 00:09:01,233 --> 00:09:04,133 -It's an it's an immediate -result that saves money. 202 00:09:07,166 --> 00:09:10,133 -So for the Wabanaki people, 203 00:09:10,133 --> 00:09:12,000 -the dark sky really has 204 00:09:12,000 --> 00:09:16,300 -a significance -and stories of afterlife 205 00:09:16,300 --> 00:09:18,433 -and how we conduct ourselves -through life 206 00:09:18,433 --> 00:09:20,000 -that we're watching -right now. 207 00:09:20,000 --> 00:09:21,966 -The term -Wabanaki is specific 208 00:09:21,966 --> 00:09:25,233 -to the northeast region -of Maine in the Maritimes. 209 00:09:25,233 --> 00:09:26,600 -It encompasses four tribes 210 00:09:26,600 --> 00:09:28,433 -the Knickknack, -the Maliseet, 211 00:09:28,433 --> 00:09:30,400 -the Penobscot, -and the past Macquarie. 212 00:09:30,400 --> 00:09:33,166 -And in pre-contact times, 213 00:09:33,166 --> 00:09:36,733 -we're all one people, -one language. 214 00:09:36,733 --> 00:09:39,400 -considered ourselves -the keeper of the eastern 215 00:09:39,400 --> 00:09:40,666 -door. -Wabanaki means people -who see the light first. 216 00:09:41,566 --> 00:09:42,233 -The sun. 217 00:09:43,200 --> 00:09:45,066 -And so -we refer to ourselves. 218 00:09:45,066 --> 00:09:47,833 -Our identity is based on -the sunrise. 219 00:09:47,833 --> 00:09:51,466 -People have the first light, -and so we 220 00:09:52,366 --> 00:09:54,600 -have been in this area, 221 00:09:54,600 --> 00:09:57,433 -proven -for at least 12,000 years. 222 00:09:57,433 --> 00:09:59,833 -And we have a number -of stuff, stories that 223 00:09:59,833 --> 00:10:00,766 -talk about the stars 224 00:10:02,300 --> 00:10:06,500 -and when -we are feeling hopeless, 225 00:10:06,500 --> 00:10:09,233 -you know, the Milky Way -that we call it now 226 00:10:09,233 --> 00:10:11,833 -in English really has 227 00:10:11,833 --> 00:10:15,566 -a significance in that -it contains a story 228 00:10:15,566 --> 00:10:19,100 -about our ancestors -who have lived 229 00:10:19,100 --> 00:10:23,400 -and walked this earth before -us, but have passed away, 230 00:10:23,400 --> 00:10:24,233 -and they're up there, -and they light these fires, 231 00:10:25,366 --> 00:10:26,300 -and they go -and sit by these fires, 232 00:10:27,733 --> 00:10:31,766 -and they look down on us, -and they watch us, and 233 00:10:33,000 --> 00:10:34,933 -they wait -for people who pass 234 00:10:34,933 --> 00:10:38,633 -in this life to come up, -and they greet them 235 00:10:38,633 --> 00:10:42,066 -like family, you know, -with warmth and love. 236 00:10:42,066 --> 00:10:45,366 -And these fires are each -one of the stars that we see 237 00:10:45,366 --> 00:10:48,700 -in the sky, in the Milky -Way, the furthest away. 238 00:10:48,700 --> 00:10:50,633 -And it's a part it's -the path we need to walk. 239 00:10:50,633 --> 00:10:51,366 -Once we leave this earth, -we walk on that path 240 00:10:54,266 --> 00:10:56,633 -and we find our ancestors. -We find the right fire. 241 00:10:57,700 --> 00:10:58,833 -And that's really 242 00:10:58,833 --> 00:11:01,766 -comforting as as humans. 243 00:11:09,500 --> 00:11:11,700 -Right now -we're sitting at Metal -Whistle Lodge, 244 00:11:11,700 --> 00:11:13,733 -which is one of the -Appalachian Mountain Club 245 00:11:13,733 --> 00:11:15,333 -lodge facilities -within the AMC Main Woods 246 00:11:15,333 --> 00:11:15,633 -International Dark Sky Park. 247 00:11:18,133 --> 00:11:21,166 -It's the first dark -sky park in New England. 248 00:11:24,466 --> 00:11:25,233 -Katahdin Woods -and Waters is designated 249 00:11:27,100 --> 00:11:28,600 -by the International Dark 250 00:11:28,600 --> 00:11:31,633 -Sky Association -as a dark sky sanctuary. 251 00:11:37,833 --> 00:11:41,100 -So Ranger -Heritage Trust is working -with the community 252 00:11:41,100 --> 00:11:45,466 -to conserve the night sky -in the Rangeley region 253 00:11:45,466 --> 00:11:48,733 -and hopefully fairly soon, 254 00:11:48,733 --> 00:11:51,533 -I'll have the town -of Rangeley become certified 255 00:11:51,533 --> 00:11:55,333 -as a dark Sky community -as a first step towards 256 00:11:55,333 --> 00:11:58,466 -conserving night sky and, -out in a broader region. 257 00:12:02,133 --> 00:12:03,866 -We think -it's our responsibility 258 00:12:03,866 --> 00:12:05,533 -to take some initial steps, 259 00:12:05,533 --> 00:12:08,200 -start here -at the center of population 260 00:12:08,200 --> 00:12:09,233 -and build out from there. 261 00:12:13,066 --> 00:12:13,666 -The International -Dark Sky Association, 262 00:12:15,133 --> 00:12:15,566 -which is globally recognized 263 00:12:16,966 --> 00:12:20,933 -as the leading organization -against light pollution. 264 00:12:20,933 --> 00:12:23,666 -They have created a dark -Sky place program, 265 00:12:23,666 --> 00:12:26,433 -has different designation -levels. 266 00:12:26,433 --> 00:12:28,800 -There's a dark sky, -sanctuaries, parks, 267 00:12:28,800 --> 00:12:30,966 -reserves, communities, 268 00:12:30,966 --> 00:12:33,966 -and they're working -on some new configurations 269 00:12:33,966 --> 00:12:38,700 -as well -to really kind of help -capture the energy around, 270 00:12:38,700 --> 00:12:42,766 -light pollution and -conserving the dark skies. 271 00:12:42,766 --> 00:12:45,333 -What we have here is a dark -sky park. 272 00:12:45,333 --> 00:12:49,000 -So an area of -substantial area, -you know, region, where, 273 00:12:49,000 --> 00:12:50,900 -all the outside lighting is 274 00:12:50,900 --> 00:12:54,600 -either controlled -or in our case, minimized, 275 00:12:54,600 --> 00:12:57,600 -and which is accessible -to the public 276 00:12:57,600 --> 00:12:59,433 -and has programing -and activities. 277 00:12:59,433 --> 00:13:01,333 -So it's not just an area -that's dark, 278 00:13:01,333 --> 00:13:03,233 -but where we have ways -to engage the public with 279 00:13:05,233 --> 00:13:06,666 -the natural night sky. 280 00:13:06,666 --> 00:13:08,366 -And so this is -this is a perfect 281 00:13:08,366 --> 00:13:09,366 -place to be doing that. 282 00:13:10,900 --> 00:13:12,300 -And as soon as they started 283 00:13:12,300 --> 00:13:12,766 -working on acquiring land -up here 284 00:13:14,033 --> 00:13:15,733 -and I looked at and went, 285 00:13:15,733 --> 00:13:17,266 -wow, that would be a really 286 00:13:17,266 --> 00:13:19,400 -great international dark -Sky reserve. 287 00:13:19,400 --> 00:13:21,533 -Now a -reserve is a higher status -in a park, -but we can talk about that 288 00:13:21,533 --> 00:13:23,233 -a bit and we 289 00:13:23,233 --> 00:13:24,266 -we aim to get that status -down the road. 290 00:13:25,633 --> 00:13:27,233 -We finally were able to 291 00:13:27,233 --> 00:13:27,600 -get the commitment to say, -okay, 292 00:13:28,966 --> 00:13:30,533 -we're going to go -after this. 293 00:13:30,533 --> 00:13:31,866 -and it involves -quite a bit of work. 294 00:13:31,866 --> 00:13:33,433 -It's not just a matter of, 295 00:13:33,433 --> 00:13:34,133 -you know, -writing a letter saying, 296 00:13:35,266 --> 00:13:36,066 -hey, we'd like to be a dark -sky park. 297 00:13:37,266 --> 00:13:39,533 -In order to be a dark -sky park, 298 00:13:39,533 --> 00:13:41,833 you have to have an -exceptionally dark sky, 299 00:13:41,833 --> 00:13:43,700 which we do here. 300 00:13:43,700 --> 00:13:46,800 -And, that's proven -with the dark sky readings 301 00:13:46,800 --> 00:13:51,066 -that we took, -with, sky quality meters. 302 00:13:51,066 --> 00:13:53,566 -And so that was great to see 303 00:13:53,566 --> 00:13:54,366 -that we already -had the resource here. 304 00:13:55,733 --> 00:13:56,700 -We had to make sure -that our entire 75,000 305 00:13:57,966 --> 00:14:02,000 -acres of ownership, -that all of the lights met 306 00:14:02,000 --> 00:14:05,633 -the international dark -sky guidelines. 307 00:14:05,633 --> 00:14:06,266 -and then the final piece 308 00:14:08,766 --> 00:14:11,000 -was making -sure that as these regions, 309 00:14:11,000 --> 00:14:14,633 -move forward, -and especially for us, 310 00:14:14,633 --> 00:14:18,500 -that we had -ordinances in place so that -there would be no future 311 00:14:18,500 --> 00:14:19,500 -lighting that fell outside, -those guidelines could ever 312 00:14:20,266 --> 00:14:21,166 -occur on our landscape. 313 00:14:23,166 --> 00:14:26,266 -So we partnered -with Mountains of stars, 314 00:14:26,266 --> 00:14:29,366 -and their astronomy -programing to kind of bring 315 00:14:29,366 --> 00:14:32,266 -some of that educational -aspect to our Lodge's 316 00:14:32,266 --> 00:14:33,800 -whole goal in what we do 317 00:14:33,800 --> 00:14:35,700 -is to connect people -with the environment, 318 00:14:35,700 --> 00:14:37,300 -and we do that -through astronomy, 319 00:14:37,300 --> 00:14:38,200 -because astronomy -is firstly really cool. 320 00:14:39,666 --> 00:14:41,200 -Everybody loves it. 321 00:14:41,200 --> 00:14:42,700 -And it is, of course, -the study of 322 00:14:42,700 --> 00:14:44,066 -absolutely -everything in the universe. 323 00:14:44,066 --> 00:14:45,466 -And that includes you and me 324 00:14:45,466 --> 00:14:47,133 -and all the plants -and animals 325 00:14:47,133 --> 00:14:49,533 -and birds and trees -and rocks and things. 326 00:14:49,533 --> 00:14:51,966 -And our goal -is to change the way people 327 00:14:51,966 --> 00:14:54,600 -look at the environment -and how they treat things. 328 00:14:54,600 --> 00:14:57,100 -We also have telescopes -at all three of our lodges 329 00:14:57,100 --> 00:14:58,700 -so that, people can go out 330 00:14:58,700 --> 00:15:00,400 -and experience -what a dark sky is, 331 00:15:00,400 --> 00:15:01,200 -because it's great -to be able to eliminate 332 00:15:02,600 --> 00:15:04,733 -that light pollution, -but be able to show people 333 00:15:04,733 --> 00:15:06,933 -why it's important -to eliminate. 334 00:15:06,933 --> 00:15:11,633 -And just the amazing, -a fun, awesome experience 335 00:15:11,633 --> 00:15:14,433 -that you get -from the result, -which is an amazing dark sky 336 00:15:14,433 --> 00:15:16,000 -and stargazing -opportunities. 337 00:15:17,233 --> 00:15:19,000 -That's amazing. 338 00:15:19,000 --> 00:15:21,766 -Oh my god. 339 00:15:27,366 --> 00:15:30,900 -I read something about, 340 00:15:30,900 --> 00:15:32,900 International Dark Sky -Association having reserves 341 00:15:32,900 --> 00:15:34,566 around the world, 342 00:15:34,566 --> 00:15:37,233 -and when I heard that Roxann -Quimby owned this 343 00:15:37,233 --> 00:15:41,366 -86,000 acres -plus in the North Woods, 344 00:15:41,366 --> 00:15:44,800 -I contacted her and said, 345 00:15:44,800 --> 00:15:48,000 -what about if we turn this -into a dark sky reserve 346 00:15:48,000 --> 00:15:49,766 -and it wasn't -the right time. 347 00:15:49,766 --> 00:15:53,766 -And her recreation manager, -we talked and we came up 348 00:15:53,766 --> 00:15:57,600 -with the idea of having -a stars of a quartet 349 00:15:57,600 --> 00:16:00,500 -party. -That was that was -a very huge beginning. 350 00:16:00,500 --> 00:16:04,733 -And then, the idea -of becoming a national park 351 00:16:04,733 --> 00:16:08,666 -was on the agenda, -and the National Park 352 00:16:08,666 --> 00:16:14,133 -Service -came to do some meetings. 353 00:16:14,133 --> 00:16:15,766 -And right at the end, -I thought, 354 00:16:15,766 --> 00:16:19,900 -I need to talk about dark -skies and 355 00:16:19,900 --> 00:16:21,133 -said, there's one resource -we haven't talked about. 356 00:16:23,400 --> 00:16:24,200 -They had a little pause. 357 00:16:25,666 --> 00:16:31,000 -Then I said, is the night -sky, and people clapped. 358 00:16:31,000 --> 00:16:34,800 -And I just remember -this sort of roar -from the audience. 359 00:16:34,800 --> 00:16:37,366 -And the National Park -Service picked up on it 360 00:16:37,366 --> 00:16:41,200 -and he said, yeah, goes -astro tourism. 361 00:16:41,200 --> 00:16:44,133 -Well, dark -Sky Maine evolved from, 362 00:16:44,133 --> 00:16:45,900 -being involved -at Katahdin Woods and Waters 363 00:16:45,900 --> 00:16:48,533 -National Monument -before it was a monument. 364 00:16:48,533 --> 00:16:52,233 -In 2014, a group of people -started doing, a star party 365 00:16:52,233 --> 00:16:55,700 -there called Stars Over -Katahdin and Nancy Hathaway, 366 00:16:55,700 --> 00:16:57,500 -who was one of the founders -of stars over 367 00:16:57,500 --> 00:16:59,500 -Katahdin came up to me -after and says, 368 00:16:59,500 --> 00:17:01,533 -I think we should start -a nonprofit 369 00:17:01,533 --> 00:17:03,200 -to help other people -around the state of Maine 370 00:17:03,200 --> 00:17:05,066 -who want to work towards 371 00:17:05,066 --> 00:17:06,633 -having good dark skies -as best 372 00:17:06,633 --> 00:17:08,666 -they can have, -wherever they happen to be. 373 00:17:08,666 --> 00:17:11,400 -And I said, that -sounds like a great idea. 374 00:17:11,400 --> 00:17:13,700 -She says, are you in? -And I said, it -looks like I'm in, I guess. 375 00:17:13,700 --> 00:17:16,300 -So we were sort of off -and running 376 00:17:16,300 --> 00:17:21,866 -like a herd of turtles, -with, the great mission 377 00:17:21,866 --> 00:17:24,766 -of saving the precious night -skies in Maine. 378 00:17:25,800 --> 00:17:26,633 -There is a benefit 379 00:17:27,733 --> 00:17:29,066 -economically, you know, to 380 00:17:29,066 --> 00:17:31,133 -having dark skies 381 00:17:31,133 --> 00:17:33,233 -is feel -like on a map, you paint -a green and people show up 382 00:17:33,233 --> 00:17:33,466 -because it must be -beautiful. 383 00:17:34,133 --> 00:17:34,666 -They mean great, 384 00:17:36,133 --> 00:17:38,466 -you know, for a -national park or a state -park or something. 385 00:17:38,466 --> 00:17:39,666 -Well, -it turns out if you get a 386 00:17:39,666 --> 00:17:41,566 -designation, -an official designation 387 00:17:41,566 --> 00:17:43,500 -with the International Dark -Sky Association, 388 00:17:43,500 --> 00:17:47,100 -that your dark Sky -sanctuary, dark Side sky, 389 00:17:47,100 --> 00:17:50,733 -preserve or this number -of different categories, 390 00:17:50,733 --> 00:17:52,000 -then people who want to be -in dark places, 391 00:17:53,066 --> 00:17:53,766 -they will come 392 00:17:55,400 --> 00:17:57,366 -because they want to set up -telescopes 393 00:17:57,366 --> 00:17:58,966 -and they want -to see these skies. 394 00:17:58,966 --> 00:18:00,700 -Because -if you're into astronomy, 395 00:18:00,700 --> 00:18:03,366 -you need that darkness -to be able to see, 396 00:18:03,366 --> 00:18:05,600 -that thing you're looking -for, that star, that planet, 397 00:18:05,600 --> 00:18:07,466 -that alignment, -that eclipse, 398 00:18:07,466 --> 00:18:09,900 -you need to have -those nice dark skies. 399 00:18:09,900 --> 00:18:12,166 -And so for this region, 400 00:18:14,000 --> 00:18:16,633 -so heavily based on tourism 401 00:18:16,633 --> 00:18:19,700 -as being the economic driver -in the region, 402 00:18:19,700 --> 00:18:22,100 -this was kind of -a new thing, 403 00:18:22,100 --> 00:18:25,033 -something that you could -either come specifically for 404 00:18:25,033 --> 00:18:26,566 -or you could tag on to 405 00:18:26,566 --> 00:18:28,733 -a trip that you were -already having. 406 00:18:28,733 --> 00:18:29,766 -So whether or not -you are a paddler -or a camper or a hiker, 407 00:18:30,833 --> 00:18:31,533 -you're a hunter. 408 00:18:32,633 --> 00:18:33,300 -You like to fish. 409 00:18:35,266 --> 00:18:38,966 -That dark sky can easily -be tagged on to any trip. 410 00:18:38,966 --> 00:18:42,500 -So for the community, -it was really about, wow, 411 00:18:42,500 --> 00:18:45,966 -this is a great resource -that now we can market 412 00:18:45,966 --> 00:18:49,400 -the region as being, a great -place to come to see it. 413 00:18:58,266 --> 00:19:02,100 -So we really are -at a crossroads -right now, with lighting. 414 00:19:02,100 --> 00:19:05,800 -so the lights that are going -in are invariably too big, 415 00:19:05,800 --> 00:19:08,633 -too bright too. -But if you look at satellite 416 00:19:08,633 --> 00:19:09,133 data, for example, it's 417 00:19:10,000 --> 00:19:11,433 -widely available on the web. 418 00:19:11,433 --> 00:19:14,033 -Just look for light -pollution satellite map 419 00:19:14,033 --> 00:19:17,933 -and look at any area -from 5 or 10 years ago. 420 00:19:17,933 --> 00:19:19,000 -And now you'll find out that -things are a lot brighter 421 00:19:20,333 --> 00:19:22,066 -now, even though -we're using a much better 422 00:19:22,066 --> 00:19:24,466 -lighting technology -that should be producing 423 00:19:24,466 --> 00:19:25,766 -less glare, -it's producing more. 424 00:19:27,366 --> 00:19:28,933 -So if we continue down that 425 00:19:28,933 --> 00:19:32,800 -road, -what's going to happen? 426 00:19:32,800 --> 00:19:35,400 -The sky will be invisible -to almost everybody. 427 00:19:37,733 --> 00:19:39,833 -health -effects will get worse, -and we don't -really even know 428 00:19:39,833 --> 00:19:41,400 -how bad it's going to be. 429 00:19:41,400 --> 00:19:44,500 -The epidemiological studies -of these cancers 430 00:19:44,500 --> 00:19:46,533 -were being done -on my generation. Right. 431 00:19:46,533 --> 00:19:47,533 -It shows up when you're -older, in your 50s and 60s. 432 00:19:50,866 --> 00:19:51,366 -and things were a certain 433 00:19:52,766 --> 00:19:55,166 -level of brightness -when I was growing up. 434 00:19:55,166 --> 00:19:56,700 -Today's kids are growing up 435 00:19:56,700 --> 00:19:59,433 -in a much brighter -environment, 436 00:19:59,433 --> 00:20:01,533 -so the health effects -for them 437 00:20:01,533 --> 00:20:03,266 -are going to be even worse. -But that's not really going 438 00:20:03,266 --> 00:20:04,866 to show up for a while. 439 00:20:04,866 --> 00:20:08,033 -So we would expect -cancer rates to go up 440 00:20:08,033 --> 00:20:09,066 -and behavioral issues -to go up and learning issues 441 00:20:09,833 --> 00:20:10,533 -to go up. 442 00:20:12,600 --> 00:20:15,833 -As more and more generations -grow up within these much, 443 00:20:15,833 --> 00:20:17,833 -much brighter environments, 444 00:20:17,833 --> 00:20:19,466 -if we keep -going the way we're going, 445 00:20:20,700 --> 00:20:21,933 -the stars -are going to go away. 446 00:20:21,933 --> 00:20:22,400 -We're going to see fewer 447 00:20:23,400 --> 00:20:24,233 -and fewer -bird and insect species 448 00:20:25,300 --> 00:20:25,700 -because they're going -to die off. 449 00:20:26,966 --> 00:20:29,433 -A bunch of plant -species will disappear. 450 00:20:29,433 --> 00:20:32,466 -More pollution, -more glare, more issues. 451 00:20:33,066 --> 00:20:34,433 -Flip side, 452 00:20:34,433 --> 00:20:36,000 -people wake up to this -and go, 453 00:20:36,000 --> 00:20:37,766 -oh, this is a real problem. 454 00:20:37,766 --> 00:20:40,366 -It's an easy fix -that I save money, 455 00:20:40,366 --> 00:20:41,966 -I'm in. Let's do that. 456 00:20:41,966 --> 00:20:43,666 -And everybody goes -and does that. 457 00:20:43,666 --> 00:20:44,633 -What happens? -Well, the stars are going -to come back 458 00:20:45,766 --> 00:20:47,033 -because it's not going to be -where 459 00:20:47,033 --> 00:20:48,966 -suburbs and neighborhoods 460 00:20:48,966 --> 00:20:51,200 -are going -to be much more attractive, -because 461 00:20:51,200 --> 00:20:52,333 you're not going -to have glaring lights 462 00:20:52,333 --> 00:20:52,700 -pouring into your bedroom. 463 00:20:55,666 --> 00:20:56,500 -Streets are going to be -safer for kids 464 00:20:57,666 --> 00:20:59,400 -walking outside -because you're not going to 465 00:20:59,400 --> 00:21:01,133 -have glare in driver's eyes. 466 00:21:01,133 --> 00:21:02,600 -electricity -use will drop significantly. 467 00:21:02,600 --> 00:21:04,200 -All all of those -negative effects 468 00:21:04,200 --> 00:21:06,500 -we talk about -are going to be reduced, 469 00:21:06,500 --> 00:21:07,400 -and they get reduced -immediately. 470 00:21:08,133 --> 00:21:09,833 -It's not just a 471 00:21:09,833 --> 00:21:11,966 -we cut it now, -and in 20 years it's better. 472 00:21:11,966 --> 00:21:13,033 -It's we cut it now and -it gets better right away. 473 00:21:15,300 --> 00:21:17,100 -So those are -those are the two extreme 474 00:21:17,100 --> 00:21:19,433 -versions of the future, -the really, really good 475 00:21:19,433 --> 00:21:22,366 -and the really, really bad. 476 00:21:24,533 --> 00:21:27,133 -This is truly something -that individuals 477 00:21:27,133 --> 00:21:30,133 -and families -can do something about. 478 00:21:33,100 --> 00:21:37,333 -There are a couple of good -ways that folks can proceed 479 00:21:37,333 --> 00:21:39,766 -to make improvements. 480 00:21:39,766 --> 00:21:43,066 -we can have our lights, -our outside lighting. 481 00:21:43,066 --> 00:21:45,766 -It's important for the 482 00:21:45,766 --> 00:21:47,900 -shield to come down 483 00:21:47,900 --> 00:21:50,833 -so that the light doesn't -go out the sides 484 00:21:50,833 --> 00:21:54,833 -so that, the light goes -where we want it to go. 485 00:21:54,833 --> 00:21:55,533 -People are on the ground -for the most part, 486 00:21:56,233 --> 00:21:57,800 -for my experience. 487 00:21:57,800 --> 00:21:59,333 -And so you need -the light down 488 00:21:59,333 --> 00:22:00,733 where people can see it -so they can, like, 489 00:22:00,733 --> 00:22:01,133 walk in on a trip and fall 490 00:22:02,666 --> 00:22:04,133 -and hurt -themselves and find a way. 491 00:22:05,266 --> 00:22:06,566 -so shield your light. 492 00:22:06,566 --> 00:22:09,566 -That's -so that's an easy fix. 493 00:22:09,566 --> 00:22:11,600 -The Illumination -Engineering Society 494 00:22:11,600 --> 00:22:13,466 -and the International Dark -Sky Association came up with 495 00:22:14,500 --> 00:22:15,400 -five very simple guidelines 496 00:22:16,266 --> 00:22:17,700 -that if you follow, 497 00:22:17,700 --> 00:22:20,266 -we'll give you the best -possible light. 498 00:22:20,266 --> 00:22:22,666 -But the principles -are very simple, which are, 499 00:22:22,666 --> 00:22:24,633 -light should be useful. 500 00:22:24,633 --> 00:22:27,866 -that light should only be -as bright as necessary. 501 00:22:27,866 --> 00:22:31,400 -It should only light -the area you need. 502 00:22:31,400 --> 00:22:34,866 -So, if you have a walkway, -by all means. 503 00:22:34,866 --> 00:22:36,833 -Like the walkway, 504 00:22:36,833 --> 00:22:39,366 -it should only be on -when you need it. 505 00:22:39,366 --> 00:22:40,966 -And lastly, -it should have as 506 00:22:40,966 --> 00:22:43,766 -little blue -light in it as possible. 507 00:22:43,766 --> 00:22:45,500 -So you can imagine -all these office 508 00:22:45,500 --> 00:22:47,566 -spaces, people work -and then have these bright 509 00:22:47,566 --> 00:22:48,233 -fluorescent lights -and everybody hates them. 510 00:22:49,166 --> 00:22:51,466 -That's -because they're so blue. 511 00:22:51,466 --> 00:22:53,533 -It's a very intense light. 512 00:22:53,533 --> 00:22:55,866 -Comfortable -lighting is much yellower, 513 00:22:55,866 --> 00:22:58,066 -and it's the blue light -that actually creates 514 00:22:58,066 --> 00:22:59,466 -most of the health -and glare. 515 00:22:59,466 --> 00:23:00,966 -Okay, -so there's a whole bunch of 516 00:23:00,966 --> 00:23:01,700 -physics behind -why that happens. 517 00:23:02,800 --> 00:23:06,300 -So the way to eliminate -that is 518 00:23:06,300 --> 00:23:08,500 -the bulbs you buy -should be what we call 519 00:23:08,500 --> 00:23:10,100 -the lowest -temperature possible. 520 00:23:10,100 --> 00:23:11,333 -So every bulb you buy, every 521 00:23:11,333 --> 00:23:13,133 -fixture has a number on it. 522 00:23:13,133 --> 00:23:17,800 -And it might be 3000 -K or 2700 K or 2000 K. 523 00:23:17,800 --> 00:23:20,600 -The lower that number, -the better it is, 524 00:23:20,600 --> 00:23:22,800 -the higher -the number, the worse it is. 525 00:23:22,800 --> 00:23:25,100 -So you see those -really bright blue 526 00:23:25,100 --> 00:23:27,733 -headlights on cars -which are like 5000. 527 00:23:27,733 --> 00:23:29,733 -So for comparison, 528 00:23:29,733 --> 00:23:33,266 -wherever possible you follow -those five guidelines. 529 00:23:33,266 --> 00:23:35,366 -Have you know only -as much as you need, have it 530 00:23:35,366 --> 00:23:37,233 -where you need to have it on -when you need it, 531 00:23:37,233 --> 00:23:38,533 -and so on. 532 00:23:38,533 --> 00:23:41,333 -That will solve the problem. 533 00:23:41,333 --> 00:23:43,700 -So we can all make -a difference. 534 00:23:43,700 --> 00:23:46,966 -And I'll use myself -for an example. 535 00:23:46,966 --> 00:23:49,200 -I love Dark Skies, -but I hadn't really thought 536 00:23:49,200 --> 00:23:53,000 -much about outdoor lighting, -so right now 537 00:23:53,000 --> 00:23:57,633 -I'm going through, our -my residence and making sure 538 00:23:57,633 --> 00:24:00,766 -that my outdoor lighting -is shielded downwards 539 00:24:00,766 --> 00:24:01,466 -and number one, number two, -I only have it on 540 00:24:02,866 --> 00:24:04,466 -when I really need it. 541 00:24:04,466 --> 00:24:07,366 -So that's one thing -any one person can do. 542 00:24:07,366 --> 00:24:08,733 -The other thing -is reach out. 543 00:24:08,733 --> 00:24:10,466 -Find other people -in your community 544 00:24:10,466 --> 00:24:11,700 -that are interested -in dark skies. 545 00:24:11,700 --> 00:24:12,233 -You'd be surprised 546 00:24:12,933 --> 00:24:14,733 -if people would 547 00:24:14,733 --> 00:24:16,166 may not know how much -they love the night sky, 548 00:24:16,166 --> 00:24:17,600 but when you bring it up, 549 00:24:17,600 --> 00:24:18,400 -they remember that -it is important to them. 550 00:24:19,866 --> 00:24:21,433 -My next door neighbor, 551 00:24:23,933 --> 00:24:25,233 -does -have a telescope, so he's -aware of of the night sky. 552 00:24:26,333 --> 00:24:26,766 -But I went out to -look at the night 553 00:24:29,233 --> 00:24:32,766 -sky one night, and -he had his barn light on. 554 00:24:32,766 --> 00:24:36,000 -So I got up the courage -to call and ask him, 555 00:24:36,000 --> 00:24:37,633 -you know, and I said, I'm 556 00:24:37,633 --> 00:24:38,166 -going out -to look at the stars. 557 00:24:40,300 --> 00:24:42,133 -Would you be willing -to turn off your light? 558 00:24:42,133 --> 00:24:44,500 -And that light -has not been on since, 559 00:24:44,500 --> 00:24:46,266 -and that was -a number of years ago. 560 00:24:46,266 --> 00:24:50,800 -So maybe the, the -the sentence is 561 00:24:50,800 --> 00:24:53,133 -I'm going out -to look at the night sky. 562 00:24:53,133 --> 00:24:56,333 -Would you be willing to turn -your light off for an hour 563 00:24:56,333 --> 00:24:57,000 -and then you can promote -that to businesses? 564 00:24:58,033 --> 00:24:59,366 -You do it at home, 565 00:24:59,366 --> 00:25:01,300 -go to a company -you work for, 566 00:25:01,300 --> 00:25:03,000 -look at your parking lot -light, 567 00:25:03,000 --> 00:25:05,166 look at your building -lights and say, hey, look, 568 00:25:05,166 --> 00:25:07,166 we can increase our profits. 569 00:25:07,166 --> 00:25:09,600 -Make it more comfortable, -make it safer. 570 00:25:09,600 --> 00:25:10,266 -Why don't we make this -improvement? 571 00:25:12,233 --> 00:25:13,533 -Part of the education -is that we, show people 572 00:25:14,733 --> 00:25:18,200 -that we can save -the night sky and have 573 00:25:18,200 --> 00:25:19,633 -lighting -that provides safety. 574 00:25:20,666 --> 00:25:21,233 -And then we can go to our 575 00:25:22,366 --> 00:25:24,700 -towns and our cities and 576 00:25:24,700 --> 00:25:27,833 -make proposals -and make ordinances. 577 00:25:27,833 --> 00:25:30,333 -One year -I went around -to all the town offices 578 00:25:30,333 --> 00:25:32,166 -surrounding -Katahdin Woods and Waters 579 00:25:32,166 --> 00:25:35,400 -to talk to them -about dark skies. 580 00:25:35,400 --> 00:25:37,833 -And the next year -I went around and the doors 581 00:25:37,833 --> 00:25:41,300 -opened up wide. 582 00:25:41,300 --> 00:25:45,233 -If you eliminate a light -or you redirect a light, 583 00:25:45,233 --> 00:25:48,233 -or you change the color -of that light bulb, 584 00:25:49,300 --> 00:25:51,166 -the result is -you get to see the dark 585 00:25:51,166 --> 00:25:53,433 -skies immediately. 586 00:25:53,433 --> 00:25:55,800 -There are benefits -to doing dark 587 00:25:55,800 --> 00:25:58,766 -sky compatible lighting -wherever you are. 588 00:26:00,400 --> 00:26:02,300 -and it and it's better -for the environment. 589 00:26:02,300 --> 00:26:04,100 -It's better for your health -and safety. 590 00:26:04,100 --> 00:26:07,066 -It's better -for glare issues. 591 00:26:07,066 --> 00:26:10,033 -Saves money. -So I mean, it helps -in every possible weather. 592 00:26:14,633 --> 00:26:17,300 -I hope that -the amount of light 593 00:26:17,300 --> 00:26:20,366 -that's coming from this -region stays consistent. 594 00:26:20,366 --> 00:26:21,400 -If not, is diminished over -time. 595 00:26:23,000 --> 00:26:23,500 -and I also hope -that the people 596 00:26:24,566 --> 00:26:25,933 -that come here -to see the dark skies 597 00:26:25,933 --> 00:26:26,333 -take that experience 598 00:26:28,333 --> 00:26:30,966 -and that information -and take it home with them. 599 00:26:30,966 --> 00:26:32,300 -It means for the future -that we're more 600 00:26:32,300 --> 00:26:33,000 -where can we stay connected 601 00:26:35,033 --> 00:26:36,633 -to ourselves -and our environment. 602 00:26:37,933 --> 00:26:39,533 -Get outdoors, 603 00:26:39,533 --> 00:26:40,966 -look at the bugs, -look at the sky, and 604 00:26:40,966 --> 00:26:41,466 -and try to make -the connection 605 00:26:42,733 --> 00:26:46,066 -between the firefly -and the stars 606 00:26:47,066 --> 00:26:49,700 -because they're connected. 607 00:26:49,700 --> 00:26:51,633 -If we lose these certain -just elemental 608 00:26:51,633 --> 00:26:55,200 -parts of ourselves -being outdoors, experiencing 609 00:26:55,200 --> 00:26:58,600 -the night sky, -seeing wildlife, 610 00:26:58,600 --> 00:27:03,200 -hearing birdsong, -we lose part of who we are. 611 00:27:03,200 --> 00:27:06,166 -The dark sky is -extremely important to us. 612 00:27:06,166 --> 00:27:08,966 -It is our 613 00:27:08,966 --> 00:27:11,066 -prehistoric internet. 614 00:27:11,066 --> 00:27:12,966 -It's really important to us -culturally. 615 00:27:12,966 --> 00:27:14,933 -It's really important to me. 616 00:27:14,933 --> 00:27:18,633 -And, my understanding -and my experiences are based 617 00:27:18,633 --> 00:27:22,533 -on that, and I want to -kind of keep that going 618 00:27:22,533 --> 00:27:26,200 -the dark -sky impacts the world 619 00:27:26,200 --> 00:27:28,933 -by cultivating -and nourishing 620 00:27:28,933 --> 00:27:31,400 -the sense of wonder. 621 00:27:31,400 --> 00:27:32,766 -I love lying on the grass -or lying on a blanket 622 00:27:34,500 --> 00:27:35,200 -that ticks around you -on a blanket. 623 00:27:36,600 --> 00:27:37,766 -Now, with a with a child -especially. 624 00:27:38,766 --> 00:27:39,400 -But anyone. 625 00:27:40,733 --> 00:27:44,300 -And you lay there -looking at the stars and 626 00:27:44,300 --> 00:27:48,000 -and your son, -your daughter, your niece, -your whatever and says "Wow! 627 00:27:48,000 --> 00:27:50,000 -How far away is that? 628 00:27:50,000 --> 00:27:51,600 -How long would -it take us to get there? 629 00:27:53,900 --> 00:27:56,200 -That's that. -That's the ticket. -That's what it's about. 630 00:27:56,200 --> 00:27:58,133 -And if we lose our dark -skies, 631 00:27:58,133 --> 00:28:00,800 -it's not that those -questions will go away, 632 00:28:00,800 --> 00:28:03,766 -but we'd lose an important -catalyst. 633 00:28:25,100 --> 00:28:28,100 -This program is supported -in part by the Maine Outdoor 634 00:28:28,100 --> 00:28:30,533 -Heritage Fund -and your true nature. 635 00:28:30,533 --> 00:28:32,433 -Committed to sharing -the wisdom of the Earth 636 00:28:32,433 --> 00:28:33,833 -through advice for life, -greeting 637 00:28:33,833 --> 00:28:36,500 -cards, bookmarks, -stickers and magnets. 638 00:28:36,500 --> 00:28:38,866 -To learn more or to schedule -a screening of Defending 639 00:28:38,866 --> 00:28:42,633 -the Dark in your community, -visit dark Sky film.com. 640 00:28:42,633 --> 00:28:45,733 -Vermont public, partnering -with local filmmakers 641 00:28:45,733 --> 00:28:48,066 -to bring you -stories made here. 642 00:28:48,066 --> 00:28:50,566 -For more, -visit vermontpublic.org