Darkness, Dialogue and Development: Our Past Event Highlights This Winter

Two special Night Walks in Hamburg, organized by the district authority of Hamburg-Altona, lighting expert Ulrike Brandi and the Forest School Klövensteen, offered participants an immersive experience in darkness. On a guided walk through the dark forest of the game enclosure, families and individuals explored how animals are affected by light pollution and adapt to the dark while testing their own senses in low-light conditions. Artistic light installations, a night sight device and silent observation moments enriched the experience. Participants shared positive feedback, noting heightened sensory awareness and increased knowledge about the issue of light pollution and further interest in the effects on nature.

A workshop in Sande, Lower Saxony, brought together representatives from various municipalities to discuss steps towards nature-friendly outdoor lighting. The event, part of the ‘Sternenfunkeln über Friesland’ initiative, addressed new legal requirements for public lighting and explored collaborative efforts to meet sustainability goals in municipalities. 

Our partners launched the active workshop phase in the region with an update on the planned DARKER SKY measures for 2025. This year’s focus is on strengthening dialogue between local and regional stakeholders and further developing a regional action plan to reduce light pollution. The plan brings together municipalities and businesses to create sustainable lighting solutions. 

In this workshop, key criteria were developed, forming the basis for the regional action plan. These results will be further refined in the next workshop in May, where more municipalities will be invited to join the discussion and take action. If interested please contact: katrin.kirfel@nlpvw.niedersachsen.de.  At the same time, a dedicated workshop for businesses will kick off to engage them in the process.

In December, our partners from our demonstrator site in Lauwersoog led a Night Walk in Lauwersoog. The walk was an important step in incorporating local perspectives into the ‘Masterplan Darkness’ for Lauwersoog, where co-design plays a major role. Residents explored different lighting scenarios, learning about issues such as excessive light spill from older fixtures and potential improvements using dimmable LED technology. The representatives of the residents unanimously agreed that lighting levels can and should be significantly reduced. This aligns with the municipality’s ambition to become a DarkSky Municipality.

During the Dutch national initiative ‘Night of the Night’ on October 26, Holwerd became a hub of innovation and engagement. Residents, local businesses and children participated in workshops and presentations, exploring new lighting strategies using our XR planning tools (VR/AR) from HAW. Alongside our European partners, we showcased our innovative planning tools and our co-design approach to raise awareness and reducing light pollution together with local communities. The event highlighted how collaboration between communities and experts can lead to more sustainable lighting solutions.

At the European Researcher’s Night, DARKER SKY was part of the programme at the University of Groningen welcoming about 800 attendees. Our project partners focused on the impact of artificial light on bats, featuring interactive demonstrations with bat detectors and sky quality meters. Engaging with visitors from diverse backgrounds led to insightful discussions, including exchanges with biologists about the importance of biodiversity protection and farmers on balancing conservation with practical lighting solutions on their farmlands. 

These events underscored the importance of community participation and exchange in tackling light pollution. As we continue our journey with DARKER SKY, we look forward to more opportunities to engage, educate and implement sustainable lighting solutions together.