Dark skies for people and nature

Steve Trotter, Chair of the North Pennines National Landscape Partnership and Chief Executive at Cumbria Wildlife Trust

In my early career, I spent several enjoyable years as a warden for a large woodland in the North-East. Alongside other duties, I used to regularly host groups of young people, from schools or youth projects from nearby cities, to visit the relatively remote and untamed countryside. These groups would stay overnight for a few days in a rather basic on-site hostel. One of the most stressful parts of the sessions was anticipating how the young people would settle at night. Would they sleep or be distracted by the excitement of being away with friends? The plan was to fill the days and evenings with lots of activities to try to exhaust them all, so they’d fall fast asleep when heads hit the pillows rather than run riot. It didn’t always work on the first night – but was usually successful by the second!

Night-time exploration in the woods became a staple activity and it never ceased to amaze me the impact that an adventure in the complete darkness would have on the youngsters involved. The majority had grown up with ubiquitous street lighting; and a dark wood at night was a completely alien experience – and I’m sure still is for many. Some would be terrified by the dark, the strange shapes and shadows and the unfamiliar sounds of the ‘spooky’ woodland – others would be curious and enthralled. It could take quite a time to persuade people to leave their torches behind and adjust their eyes to the moonlit, starlit or completely dark night. To hear their thrilled reaction as the breath-taking impact of a bright, twinkling, star-filled sky dawned on them was a delight in itself. Similarly, when out watching badgers or tracing the outline of Daubenton’s bats flying over ponds, it was incredibly rewarding to see the youngsters suddenly appreciate this nocturnal woodland world which was so surprisingly full of wildlife, even if some of it bit back (midges!).

Our disconnection with nature and the fact that so many people miss out on the joys and fascinations of a dark night sky is one of the reasons why campaigns to protect and enhance ‘dark skies’ have gained momentum in recent decades.

Widespread artificial light pollution from human activity is a relatively new phenomenon and concern about the loss of dark skies is even more recent. Concerns began amongst the global astronomical community because of their frustrations about not being able to see stars and the night sky because of background light pollution and the ‘glow’ from streetlights, buildings and roads. Today, the dark sky ‘movement’ is a major international campaign.

But not only does light pollution scatter and waste costly energy and reduce our personal experience of the night sky, it’s also a big problem for wildlife and natural ecosystems.

Bright or poorly directed artificial lighting can interfere to varying degrees with the behaviour of nocturnal animals. It can affect their feeding, migration, navigation and breeding patterns and a wide range of species are affected including bats, birds, and insects. Diurnal animals, those which are active during the day and rest at night, can also be affected if their breeding and feeding patterns are regulated in part by day length.

Under natural conditions, nighttime light levels can vary widely from relatively bright conditions under a full moon through to complete darkness. Species have evolved to cope with this variability, but artificial lighting introduces direct point sources of light and constant background illumination to which they’re not adapted. Read part two of Steve’s blog to find out how different night-active species are affected by light pollution.

The situation in the North Pennines

Preserving dark skies in the North Pennines is therefore not only about enjoying the stars but also about safeguarding the many species that depend on natural darkness; allowing them to behave naturally.

The North Pennines National Landscape Partnership recognises that the area is important for its dark skies and this is reflected in planning policy, guidance, and partnership working to reduce light pollution and protect the night skies for people, wildlife, astronomy, and astro/noc-tourism. Areas like the North Pennines have been recognised internationally for their dark skies and this is something that the Partnership is working towards – through working together we can make sure that the area’s pristine skies will continue to promote a sense of awe into the future.

Management plan

The new Management Plan for the North Pennines (2026 to 2031) has been adopted by the four local authorities forming part of the National Landscape and UNESCO Global Geopark. It promotes:

• replacing old street lighting with fully-shielded, timer-controlled and low colour temperature LED lighting;
• making sure new developments have lighting plans;
• taking opportunities to replace existing lighting on buildings;
• producing clear lighting guidance for developers and the public;
• continued dark sky monitoring; and
• further developing the National Landscape’s dark sky tourism offer.

The North Pennines has some of the darkest skies in England, and in fact is the darkest mainland National Landscape, with more ‘Dark Sky Discovery Sites’ than any other UK protected landscape, including:

• Geltsdale (Clesketts Car Park)
• Parkhead Station
• Pow Hill Country Park

Header image: Star Trails (c) Gary Lintern