What is DarkSky International?

DarkSky International is a nonprofit organization that works to restore the nighttime environment and protect communities from the harmful effects of light pollution. Its work runs through outreach, advocacy, and conservation, and it operates several programs that the public can actually use: a certification program for dark sky places, a certification program for outdoor lighting products and projects, public policy work, education and outreach, and a network of local chapters. If you want to know what light pollution is, where to find a protected dark sky location, which outdoor lights are considered dark sky friendly, or how to get involved locally, this is the organization behind those resources.

What the organization says about light pollution

DarkSky International defines light pollution as the human-made alteration of outdoor light levels from those occurring naturally. According to the organization, its effects include:

• Disrupting wildlife
• Impacting human well-being
• Wasting money and energy
• Contributing to climate change
• Blocking our view of the universe

The organization frames the solution around three broad approaches: following responsible lighting practices, passing dark sky friendly legislation, and advancing scientific research in the field. It also points individuals toward ways to get involved.

The main programs

International Dark Sky Places

This program works with communities, parks, municipalities, and the public to certify and protect dark places for humans and wildlife alike. The practical value for a general reader is that it produces a set of designated places you can visit — the site highlights Mont Mégantic in Canada as an example. If your goal is to find somewhere to experience a genuinely dark night sky, this program is the entry point.

DarkSky Approved

This program works with communities, manufacturers, retailers, designers, and others to evaluate and certify dark sky friendly outdoor lighting equipment, as well as dark sky friendly outdoor lighting projects. If you are choosing outdoor fixtures — for a home, a business, or a municipal retrofit — this is where the organization's lighting criteria live. The site's example of the program's scope is streetlights being retrofitted with LEDs in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

Public policy

The organization works with communities and governments to prioritize night sky protection and quality outdoor lighting. This is relevant if you are dealing with local lighting ordinances or want to push for one.

Education and outreach

DarkSky International networks globally to share information and expertise, and supports local efforts through volunteer Advocates. This is the layer most useful to someone who wants to learn or teach rather than buy or travel.

Other work

The organization also collaborates widely, presents a global conference for the dark sky movement, and gives awards to exemplars.

Getting involved locally

DarkSky International states that it has 65+ international chapters at the forefront of the dark sky movement, and it offers a chapter finder so you can locate the one nearest you. If you want to act rather than just read, finding a local chapter is the most direct route — local chapters are where volunteer effort, local advocacy, and community events actually happen.

The organization also lists partners, noting that its efforts are multiplied by partnerships around the world.

How to decide whether this site is useful to you

One caveat worth stating plainly: the site presents itself as an advocacy and certification organization, so its explanations of light pollution effects and solutions reflect that mission. That does not make the underlying astronomy and ecology wrong, but if you need regulatory or health decisions, treat the site as a starting point and check the primary sources it points to.