How light pollution impacts wildlife, too

Last week this column discussed how light pollution impacts us. This week it will focus on how it impacts wildlife, which in turn, impacts us.

The following information was provided by Sinks Canyon State Park superintendent Jessica Moore:

For many birds, night is a time for migration. They use the moon and stars as navigation clues. Introduction of artificial light can draw migrating birds off course. It also causes them to crash into light windows as it appears that they can fly though the clear glass. Birds hit glass every night, but when they are migrating, the number increases to hundreds and in some cases thousands.

Amphibian reproduction cycles are impacted because the males will only call when it is instinctually dark enough. If there is not enough darkness, the males won’t make breeding calls, resulting in the females not coming to the pond.

Mule deer are attracted to light, which they’ve learned to associate with green vegetation. Think of subdivisions or homes with a lot of lighting around them. What else do you have? Flowers, bushes, and grass. Lots of grass. Predators like mountain lions follow the deer. They take advantage of the darker areas just outside of the artificial light glow. Increased predation and increase in human-predator interactions.

DarkSky estimates that at least 30% of all outdoor lighting in the U.S. alone is wasted, mostly by lights that aren’t shield. That adds up to $3.3 billion a year wasted in lighting up the sky. It also releases 21 million tons of carbon emissions into the environment each year. It would take planting 875 million trees a year to offset those emissions.

Too much lighting can allow for more crime in some cases. The glare from unshielded outdoor lighting can prevent us from seeing things that are in the shadows.

What can we do to help? If you have outdoor lights on your home, garage, camper, etc. put them on motion detectors. It will save you money, too. You can also use yellow-colored bulbs. Shielded lights prevent light pollution above the barrier. Thus, not shining light into the sky.

Visiting Sinks Canyon and learning what the park staff has done to preserve our beautiful Wyoming night skies within the park was life changing. We are rethinking every bit of lighting on our place. As well as stepping out on clear nights numerous times just to look at the sky.

Special shout out to Jessica Moore and Skylar Sargent at Sinks for the work on getting the park designated as the first DarkSky location in Wyoming.

Check out darksky.org and the YouTube video Losing the Dark.