You are an important force for protecting the night.

 

Here are some steps you can take to get started

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1. Assess the lighting around your home
   Poor lighting not only creates glare and light pollution but also wastes enormous amounts of energy and money. Take a few moments to inspect your property for inefficient, poorly installed, and unnecessary outdoor lighting. Learn how by visiting International Dark Skies Residential/Business Lighting page.  Indoor lighting can also create glare that impacts wildlife and your neighbors.  Pull your shades when your lights are on.
    

2. Use Dark Sky Lighting around your home and business
   Look for the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) Fixture Seal Of Approval on any outdoor lighting you purchase. IDA maintains a searchable database of lighting products certified to minimize glare, light trespass, and skyglow. These products are recommended when replacing outdated or inappropriate lighting fixtures.
    

3. Talk to family, friends, and neighbors
   You can be a powerful dark sky advocate for your neighborhood or your town. Solving the light pollution problem involves raising awareness of the issue so that people are empowered to make better decisions as consumers, voters and community members.  We have already had great success with neighbors taking action.
    

4. Add dark sky lighting to your HOA Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions (CC&Rs)
   IDA has developed dark sky language elements that can be readily incorporated into your community CC&Rs. You can find the document here.
    

5. Spread the word online
   Engage your online community about the issues and explain why your support Methow Dark Skies.  Share our website and follow us on Facebook.
    

6. Join our Mailing List
   Sign up for out mailing list. We'll let you know our event schedule so you can meet other members, help protect the night sky over the Methow Valley, and have some fun doing it.
    

7. Attend a Milky Way Social Hour
   Join us for our "Milky Way Social Hour"events.  These informal social gatherings are a great way to meet and engage with fellow dark sky, astronomy, and astrophotography enthusiasts.  The events will be announced on our Events page and our Facebook page.​
    

8. Volunteer
   We are always looking for like-minded people join our small team and expand our reach within the community. There are plenty of opportunities to help out ranging from writing letters to the editor of the Methow Valley News, distributing brochures to local businesses, staffing a booth at the Farmers Market, working with the towns on lighting ordinances, talking to builders, or even leading a night sky viewing event.  Use our Contact form or talk to us a Milky Way Social Hour.
    

9. Send us your Methow astrophotography
   If you've got some great photos of Methow dark skies that you'd like to share, we'd love to add them to our Gallery.  Use our Contact page to get the conversation started and we'll arrange to get the photo and credits added to the Gallery.  Or you can post them on our Facebook page.
    

10. Enjoy Methow Dark Skies
    We're preserving out dark skies for current and future generations so enjoy so please get out there.  Share your ideas and experiences on our Facebook page.  

 

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