A Sky Worth Saving: Why We Need to Protect the Night

You know what I didn’t expect to miss when I moved from a rural town in Maine to an even more rural place in South Carolina? The stars. I thought they’d be a given. But because we are situated in more of a neighborhood community, the glow of porch lights, driveway lights, and in-home lighting dulls the night sky until it’s more gray haze than twinkling canopy.

And once you notice it, you can’t unsee it.

This week marks International Dark Sky Week, a global celebration of natural night—and a call to action to protect it. Because darkness isn’t just about aesthetics or stargazing. It’s essential to wildlife, sleep, science, and our cultural connection to the cosmos.

We’ve already lost so much of the night to light pollution. But there are real, simple things we can do to reverse that trend.

So here’s how I’m showing up this week (and beyond)—and how you can too:

I Audited Our Home Lighting

DarkSky.org has a guide to outdoor lighting that is DarkSky Approved. It helps you identify the kind of outdoor lights that are friendly to the night sky. I found a few upgrades I’ll be making this spring.

I Signed the Pledge

The Protect the Night Pledge is a simple commitment to reduce light pollution in your own life and speak up in your community. The more of us who sign, the stronger the signal we send.

I’m Talking to My Community

Whether it’s submitting a local proclamation or just chatting with neighbors, awareness is a powerful tool. I’ve started mentioning light pollution when people ask about my native plant and pollinator projects—because many nocturnal species rely on dark skies too.

If Field Trip stands for anything, it’s that everyday people—not just policymakers or scientists—can protect wild places in big and small ways. The night sky is one of those places.

So this week (and beyond), I’m dimming the lights. Looking up. And remembering that some of the most magical moments happen after dark.

If you want to join me, check out the International Dark Sky Week website and find an action that speaks to you. Because the night deserves better than a constant buzz of LEDs and floodlights.

Let’s keep the stars in our skies—and the night wild, quiet, and full of wonder.