By Andrea Christensen, Director of Donor Engagement
On a cool, clear night in August, hundreds of visitors circled near the Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center in Olympic National Park as park service staff and volunteers welcomed them to the Night Sky viewing program.
Visitors made their way up the hill at dusk to participate in the free program, viewing star clusters and planets – glimpses into our universe.
Visitors of all ages – from young elementary-aged inquisitive future astronomers to seniors who brought their folding chairs to sit and observe – were awed by the vast starscape, mesmerized as it unfolded more and more stars as the evening went on.
“Oohs” and “aahs” from seeing dozens of shooting stars punctuated the hush of awe that descended as visitors took in the sheer magnitude of constellations above them. For some, this was the most stars they’d ever seen at one time.
How late does the Night Sky Program go? According to volunteer John Goar, “We’ll stay as long as you want to stay.”
John Goar is a retired public school science teacher, certified Master Observer by the Astronomical League, and volunteer ‘Dark Ranger.’ He’s also an Olympic National Park volunteer veteran, having spearheaded this program in the park over a decade ago.
Although not officially designated as a “dark sky park,” Olympic National Park boasts 95 percent wilderness and offers excellent night sky watching. “Protecting and preserving scenic beauty is an important part of the park service mission, and that extends to protecting dark night skies through combating light pollution,” John says.
Full Moon Hikes are another opportunity offered through this program, in which groups of park visitors experience a guided hike on Hurricane Ridge with a ranger or volunteer. This year, the program set new attendance records, bringing the awe of the dark skies above Olympic to more people than ever before.
Asked what he enjoys most about introducing park visitors to the world of astronomy, John shared, “It’s really cool when youth get enthused about seeing something. I’ve heard stories where a young person has looked through the telescope and it’s really changed their focus – they’ve become amateur astronomers when they see the rings of Saturn or a galaxy for the first time. It creates such joy, and that’s contagious. It’s what motivates me.”
It’s no surprise, given his passion for education, that John is a recipient of the George and Helen Hartzog Awards for Outstanding Volunteer Service in 2016 – a National Park Service award representing volunteers all over the U.S.
Michael Glore, Interpretive Operations Manager at Olympic National Park, says the Night Sky Program at Hurricane Ridge helps accomplish an important park priority.
“Traditionally in national parks, we’ve emphasized preservation or protection of the more tangible or accessible natural and cultural resources most people see or experience during their visit, like wildlife, natural scenery, and historical sites. These are the things we’ve interpreted in a lot of our programs, but over the years we’ve come to understand that everything’s really connected – from natural sound to the night skies. We now understand that dark night skies play a critical role in the health and wellbeing of the animals and plants in the park, and even of us humans, and how we connect to our cultural heritage and this natural system. It really gives us a sense of perspective.”
Michael says that’s one of the things the park is trying to do in the 21st century with interpretation; not just helping people find personal connections to the resources in the park but also finding personal connections to each other.
“If you go to any of these night sky programs, you’ll see that visitors are engaged with each other. They’re all very excited and communicating with each other about a shared experience, even though they’re often speaking different languages. It’s a really great opportunity for visitors to come together and engage with each other and with the ‘Dark Rangers’.”
According to the National Park Service, nighttime views and environments are among the critical park features the National Park Service is charged with protecting. Night sky protection “enhances qualities of solitude and undeveloped wilderness character that animals depend on for survival, park visitors seek for connections, and many cultural-historical parks require for preservation.”
Simply put, artificial lights disrupt ecosystems. From the predator-prey dynamic to many species’ reliance on darkness to cue when certain behaviors should be implemented, artificial light pollution can be devastating. For example:
But humans can help, and that’s why night skies programs like the one at Olympic National Park are so critical. Not only do they allow visitors to experience natural darkness and the splendor of our natural lightscape, but they also educate us on how we all can take action to reduce light pollution at home.
Donations to Washington’s National Park Fund provide program funds to cover program equipment and gear, including telescopes and light barriers and red wayfinding lighting to preserve the darkness of the night skies.
Funds also support additional staff who support the program, including a part-time ranger and interns like Erika Khosrovian, a National Park Service and Environment for the Americas intern and participant in the Mosaics in Science (MIS) internship program.
This summer, thanks to funding from WNPF donors, the park was able to present 39 Night Sky Programs welcoming more than 2,200 visitors, including 261 youth.
So what’s next for the program? Michael shared that as the program grows, they are working on ways to improve safety, as well as hoping to bring on additional staff and reduce the impact on resources.
“Washington’s National Park Fund donor funds enable us to cover the cost of tools and purchase other safety equipment, hire temporary park staff and interns – and even house them – in order to manage the program. If I had one message for donors of WNPF, it would just be, ‘Thank you. We couldn’t do it without you.’”
What better way to learn about the night skies than to experience them first-hand? You can learn how to participate in the Night Sky Program next summer on Olympic National Park’s website at www.nps.gov/olym/planyourvisit/nightsky.htm.
Olympic National Park’s Night Sky Program is just one of the dozens of park-selected priority projects that donations to Washington’s National Park Fund have supported. Programs like this one wouldn’t be possible without the generous donations of our community.
Donate today to help fund priority projects like this one at Olympic National Park.
Editor’s Note: This article also appeared in National Parks Traveler.
Washington’s National Park Fund is the official philanthropic partner to Mount Rainier, North Cascades, and Olympic National Parks. We raise private support to preserve and protect Washington’s national parks by funding scientific research, youth and family experiences, and projects that will keep these parks strong and vital now and forever, for everyone.