Truman Students Help Secure DarkSky Status for Thousand Hills State Park

   

Thousand Hills State Park has earned an exclusive designation, thanks in large part to the efforts of Truman students who took an interest in the night sky years ago.

DarkSky International recently certified the park as an Urban Night Sky Place. Founded in 2001, the International Dark Sky Places Program is a non-regulatory and voluntary program encouraging communities, parks and protected areas worldwide to preserve and protect dark sites through effective lighting policies, environmentally responsible outdoor lighting and public education. Thousand Hills State Park joins exclusive company as only 229 locations in the world have earned Urban Night Sky Place status.

“Preserving natural nighttime darkness in this area is valuable on many levels. It is beneficial to human health and safety, benefits the local ecological systems and it is cost-effective in terms of energy consumption,” said Vayujeet Gokhale, professor of physics. “Additionally, reducing light pollution will attract more tourists of the park, and to Kirksville, who will be much more likely to stay overnight in order to enjoy the wonders of the night sky.”
    
The idea for the DarkSky certification came about in early 2020 from a group of Truman students in one of Gokhale’s classes. The students worked with Ryan Persinger, superintendent of Thousand Hills State Park, to promote night sky preservation and light pollution abatement. Students helped conduct an inventory of the lights in the park, which played a role in creating plans to make these lights compatible with obtaining Urban Night Place status.

While Persinger worked with both DarkSky Missouri and DarkSky International for application and certification requirements and guidance, the student team collaborated with the Adair County Public Library and University staff on dark sky and astronomy programming. They helped organize and conduct “star parties” at Thousand Hills, which regularly attract between 50-100 people from Kirksville and the surrounding area. During these events, students set up telescopes to show visitors deep sky objects such as galaxies and nebulae. They also explain the importance of responsible use of outdoor lighting.

Another contribution of the student team was gathering community support letters. By 2021, Persinger submitted the initial certification inquiry to start the process with DarkSky Missouri, and by September 2024, Thousand Hills State Park received its certification.

“This achievement reflects the dedication of Thousand Hills State Park, DarkSky Missouri, Truman State University, and the city of Kirksville to reducing light pollution as a vital step toward protecting and celebrating the region’s significant cultural and natural resources. It is encouraging to see so many collaborators supporting this effort,” said Amber Harrison, International Dark Sky Places program manager.

Currently, the park’s outdoor lighting is 78% compliant, with plans to be 100% compliant by the end of 2025.

More information about the International Dark Sky Places program can be found at darksky.org/what-we-do/international-dark-sky-places.