‘DARK SKY’ LOCATIONS SHOWCASE NATURE’S BEAUTY

Designation adds tourist appeal to less-visited areas

The Ancestral Pueblo people of Mesa Verde, like many communities long ago, were eager observers of the night sky. By tracking the lunar cycles and travels of the stars, they read the passage of the seasons to know when to plant, to harvest and to conduct ceremonies.

They probably would be surprised by what they would see in the sky today — largely because it’s not possible to see the stars in most places. Today, light pollution has obscured that starry heritage; 80 percent of North Americans can’t see the Milky Way over their homes.

However, that’s no longer true at Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado. In recent years, the park has overhauled its lighting system, so that after the sun sets, visitors can experience a naturally dark sky — one swimming in stars, planets and meteors.

In doing so, the park became the world’s 100th International Dark Sky Park and part of a rapidly growing collection of locales seeking to preserve and capitalize on their night sky.

“We at Mesa Verde have been thrilled by the excitement of visitors and local community members in recognizing that half the park is after dark,” said Spencer Burke, a park ranger.

The International Darksky Association started the International Dark Sky Places program (including dark sky parks, communities, reserves and sanctuaries, as well as Urban Night Sky Places) in 2001 with Flagstaff, Ariz., as the first International Dark Sky City. By 2010, the association hit the milestone of having 10 IDSPS. By 2016, there were 50; by 2019, 100; and as of now, there are close to 200. It’s a nearly 400 percent increase in six years.

“This year will have the highest number of designations on record, as we already have 30 certified places, with a few more scheduled for the remainder of 2021,” Ashley Wilson, director of conservation for the Arizona-based association, said last month.

In the San Diego region, certified dark-sky places include the Anza-borrego Desert State Park and the communities of Anza Borrego and Julian.

Wilson theorizes that the increase in the program’s popularity has to do with the presence of astrotourism, a branch of travel that has a disproportionately high economic impact because it necessitates an overnight stay and benefits from the long nights in winter, which is typically the offseason for many tourist areas.

“Visitors need to stay up late to see the stars, which means they will most likely

LIAN LAW NATIONAL PARK SERVICE Nighttime traffic to popular destinations such as California’s Joshua Tree National Park spreads out the visitor footprint over a greater portion of the day.