Tag: star count

Rewild the night sky by tackling light pollution, says CPRE at launch of annual Star Count 

  • Chris Packham urges people across the country to get involved in CPRE’s annual Star Count, from 17 to 24 February, to measure light pollution 
  • As the rewilding movement gathers pace, landowners, farmers and the government are being encouraged to remember that the night sky is an intrinsic part of nature – and vital for the health of people and wildlife 
  • CPRE is calling for changes to national and local planning policy to combat light pollution to ensure well-designed lighting that’s only used when and where it’s needed 

Chris Packham is urging the public to spend 20 minutes counting stars to help build a crucial national database mapping light pollution. The broadcaster is backing a campaign by countryside charity CPRE to rewild the night sky to restore truly dark natural habitats for threatened wildlife. 

Artificial light pollution is one of the biggest threats to nocturnal creatures, many of which have suffered sharp population declines. Man-made light is known to cause confusion to migrating birds, often with fatal outcomes. It interrupts natural rhythms, including the reproduction, feeding and sleeping patterns of pollinating insects, bats and nocturnal animals. 

CPRE is asking as many people as possible to take part in its annual Star Count, taking place from 17 to 24 February.

By simply counting the number of stars visible to the naked eye in the Orion constellation, the public makes a vital contribution to building a nationwide picture of the state of our night sky. The results will help pinpoint the country’s most pristine skies and the areas most badly affected by light pollution. 

Strengthened national and local planning policy is required to ensure we get well-designed lighting that is only used when and where it is needed. Light pollution disrupts wildlife. It also robs people of the opportunity to enjoy the beauty of the stars and reduces an often-forgotten connection to nature. 

Emma Marrington, dark skies campaigner at CPRE, the countryside charity, said:  ‘As the rewilding movement gathers pace, with government, landowners, farmers and conservation groups backing evermore ambitious projects, we are urging them to remember that the night sky is an intrinsic part of nature.

“Studies have shown that exposure to artificial light at night disrupts the natural circadian rhythms of humans as well as animals, leading to a range of negative health effects. 

‘The night sky is becoming increasingly obscured by artificial light. Sadly, this means most people in the UK can’t see many stars at all, especially if they live near a big town or city. Yet, it’s a form of pollution that has been allowed to grow for years without any significant effort being made to control the damage it’s causing to people, nature and the environment. It’s time to rewild the night sky and help people, as well as wildlife, reconnect to such a vital part of our heritage.’ 

Two-thirds of invertebrates are partially or wholly nocturnal, and even daytime species can be severely impacted by the loss of a dark night sky. Research has shown light pollution can reduce fruit production, with visits to flowers by nocturnal pollinators, such as moths, beetles and flies, down by 62% in one study. 

Environmentalist and broadcaster Chris Packham said: ‘We have many grave concerns about things which are impacting negatively upon our wildlife and they all urgently need addressing. One which is unfortunately relatively frequently overlooked is light pollution.

“Light pollution can be a real nuisance. It can interrupt animals’ behaviour and drastically disrupt their ecology, particularly nocturnal species like bats and moths. And that’s why CPRE, the countryside charity, is organising Star Count. 

“This is a great piece of citizen science where me and you can gaze into the night sky and count the number of stars which are visible to us in the constellation of Orion. This is stargazing made easy and you don’t even need a telescope”.

CPRE is calling for stronger local and national planning policy to combat light pollution – the National Planning Policy Framework, where these policies are decided, is currently under review. Now is the time for the government to act. 

In the countryside – particularly near nature restoration projects and proposed wildlife corridors, in AONBs and national parks – naturally dark skies reinforce the benefits of returning the land to the most natural, healthy and peaceful state possible. 

Simple and cheap measures, such as directional street lighting, timer switches on exterior lights and changing the colour of LED bulbs can make a significant improvement to light blight. Minimum standards are needed for the management of external lighting to cut light pollution; and stronger policies in local plans to ensure existing dark skies are protected, and that new developments do not increase light pollution. 

Alastair Driver, director of Rewilding Britain, said: ‘Naturally dark skies reinforce the whole ethos of rewilding. Not only are they so important to much of our wildlife, they also engender a sense of wildness for people, which is crucial in strengthening our connections with nature.

“This, as we know, dramatically improves mental and physical health. Naturally dark night skies are a vital and meaningful part of our natural heritage. 

“For nocturnal wildlife in particular, the night sky is a crucial part of the environment. Reproduction, feeding and sleeping patterns are directly impacted by light pollution. Like all forms of pollution, it’s harmful to nature. Where public money is rightly invested in rewilding and nature recovery projects it clearly makes sense to ensure the night sky is in as natural a state as the land and sea.”

Public asked to become citizen scientists in annual Star Count to map light pollution in our skies 

  • CPRE, the countryside charity, is calling on people to take part in Star Count, the country’s biggest annual citizen science project of its kind, which takes place from 26 February to 6 March 
  • A clear view of the night sky helps balance our mental health and boost emotional wellbeing – but light pollution is blotting out the stars and obstructing our ability to connect with nature 
  • Lockdown produced clearer, darker skies but experts fear it was a temporary reprieve 

People are being asked to take part in an annual Star Count to record how clear our view is of the night sky. CPRE, the countryside charity, is working with the British Astronomical Association’s Commission for Dark Skies to map light pollution levels across the country. 

In the biggest citizen science project of its kind, people are being asked to count the number of stars they see in the Orion constellation to help map the best and worst places in the UK to enjoy a star-filled night sky.

The results will be compared with 2021’s findings, gathered during lockdown, which revealed a notable drop in the number of people experiencing severe light pollution given urban areas were much quieter and fewer large buildings were in use. 

A clear view of a star-filled night sky has a hugely beneficial effect on our mental health and, like access to other forms of nature, helps reduce stress and increase a sense of peace and wellbeing. Research has even shown that regularly spending time looking at the stars can lower blood pressure and reduce depression. Yet, the night sky, which is a hugely significant part of our natural environment, has no legal protection.  

Tom Fyans, deputy chief executive of CPRE, the countryside charity, said: ‘The night sky is one half of our experience of nature; but we don’t often think of it like that. In and of itself, it helps balance our mental health and boost our emotional wellbeing. Recollect that experience of a starry sky and you instinctively know it soothed you. 

‘But our view of the night sky – and all the benefits it undoubtedly brings – is being blotted out by light pollution. Like all forms of pollution, it is damaging our mental and physical health, and also having a severe impact on wildlife. Yet, it is a form of pollution that is allowed to increase year on year without any effort being made to control the damage it is causing.’ 

In 2021, over 7,000 people took part in CPRE’s Star Count. The proportion of people reporting ‘severe light pollution’, defined as ten stars or fewer being visible to the naked eye in the Orion constellation, had declined from 61% to 51%.

The proportion of ‘truly dark skies’, defined as over 30 stars being visible within the Orion constellation, had increased from 3% to 5%. This was likely due to the count taking place during lockdown, with reduced levels of artificial light leading to a clearer view of the night sky. 

Now people are being urged to once again come together for one of the nation’s biggest citizen science projects to help discover if light pollution has increased since the end of lockdown – and where the best views of the stars can be found.  

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Emma Marrington, CPRE dark skies campaigner, said: ‘We need your help to find out if light pollution has increased over the past year and if more people are experiencing darker night skies.

“The results from Star Count will help us create a map of where star-spotters are enjoying deep, dark star-filled skies. By showing on a map where light pollution is most serious, we can work with local councils and others to decide what to do about it. 

‘Star Count is a great way to switch off from the distractions of daily life and reconnect with nature – and by taking part as a citizen scientist, you can help us protect and improve everyone’s view of a clear, sparkling night sky.’ 

Light pollution means many people only experience a limited view of the night sky, and it also disrupts wildlife’s natural patterns. By showing where views are most affected by light pollution, the evidence can be used to help protect and enhance the nation’s dark skies, improving our health, wellbeing, wildlife and the environment. 

Bob Mizon, of the British Astronomical Association’s Commission for Dark Skies, said: ‘The night sky is a great antidote to the stresses of modern life; you go out, look up and suddenly everything is calm. The stars made every atom in our bodies; they are our chemical parents. They’re intimately connected to us and even in these light polluted days people have a real desire to see the stars. 

‘Just as we have an affinity with trees and the rest of nature, we have a connection to the night sky. It is literally 50 per cent of our environment – from east to west – and it is the only part of our environment that has no protection in law.

People are very rapidly coming to the conclusion that what we do to the environment has a direct impact on our wellbeing. The same as coral reefs dying off and rivers clogged with plastic bags – one more aspect of our impact on the environment is our pollution of the night sky and yet it is completely unprotected.’