Memories
“The most beautiful things are not associated with money; they are memories and moments. If you don't celebrate those, they can pass you by.”
— Alek Wek
The Birth of the DarkSky Chicago Chapter
By Adam Kreuzer
The four of us started this chapter of DarkSky International with the shared goal of restoring and protecting dark skies. We all cherish memories of dark skies from the past. For me, there were dark nights with high school friends in fields of corn, and nights laying on cool sand, barefooted, with my son, Ben. Rippling waves washing the shore. Moonshine on the water. The occasional shooting star. Memories that will live with me forever.
That was when night was dark and the stars were bright. Nights when you could see with your naked eye thousands of stars. Stars and planets close enough to touch. The Milky Way. Our galaxy. Mercury, Venus, Mars and Saturn. The Man in the Moon. But that was then, and this is now; 2022. For many here in Chicago and northeast Illinois, a dark sky is now nothing but a memory. For our children, it is now day at night.
Vincent van Gogh painted Starry Night in 1889 during his stay at the asylum of Saint-Paul-de-Mausole near Saint-Rémy-de-Provence.
On the best of nights, we can now see with our naked eye only 30 to 40 stars. When Vincent Van Gogh painted Starry Night, there were no artificial lights at night. Until recently, LEDS were not used for outdoor lighting. Scientists estimate that during the past 25 years, light pollution has increased 270% globally. Ruskin Hartley, Executive Director of the International Dark Sky Association said,
“Over the past 25 years, the transition to LED, has been accompanied by rapid increases in light pollution globally. Without concerted action to reverse this trend…a whole generation will grow up in perpetual twilight.”
What we know now is that the recent Big Bang of light pollution affects more than our Dark Night enjoyment of the stars and planets. It affects our natural circadian rhythm and, therefore, our physical and mental health. It causes amphibian, bird and insect injury and death, contributing significantly to current bird and insect apocalypses. Valerie, a retired naturalist, joins the fight for dark skies not just the restoration of starry nights, but for the the ecological health of wildlife and plants.
For us here at the fledgling Chicago Chapter, we bring diversity with our reasons for advocating. We will fight for stars and planets, fight for wildlife and fight for human wellness. We bring hope. Hope for better awareness. Hope for better action. Hope for better outcomes. We can make a difference. We will make a difference. Unlike many forms of pollution that dramatically affect our environment and may remain with us for centuries, the light pollution solution is using less and using well. We can and will see change with a flip of a switch!
Please join us. Every Day needs a Night. Make memories.
Adam Kreuzer, Ken Walczyk, Cinthia Tarr, Valerie Blaine
Night Habitats
This is an incredible video about the importance of natural darkness for the ecosystem. Only 2 minutes long. It’s a MUST watch!
For more information visit noctiainstitute.com
Why most of us can’t see the Milky Way.
Most people in North America can't see the Milky Way. The reason? We're ensconced in a luminous fog of artificial lighting 24/7.
Where Are You?
– by Adam Kreuzer, 6/8/22
When for hundreds of years, brave exploring mariners sailed rough waters, you were there, in dark skies, to help guide them home,
Calm, bright, beacons that shined from quiet skies above,
Stars, constellations and planets, in north and southern hemispheres, always present, always predictable.
The natural night-time map, replaced recently with technology: compass and GPS,
The modern nocturnal mariner now just gazes up for the view, the skies still dark above her oceans and seas,
Domes of light pollution not yet above, not yet dimming her views of you.
But other night-time navigators, our wildlife friends so many, still and may always depend on just you,
For them, your beacons remain more than just twinkling lights in the sky, they remain their only map, their only path,
Through waters, skies, forests, prairies, fields and yards: over trees, orchards and gardens,
No man-made compass or global positioning system for them, you are their heritage, their night.
Billions of birds still fly high during spring and fall migrations, sometimes hundreds if not thousands of miles,
You should be there, for their safe path, traveled for generations to warmer days and more beautiful songs,
That path, now too often blinded by man with tall buildings and lighted windows so bright,
That birds now strike,
Fewer and fewer birds and fewer songs. So sad.
Sea turtle eggs hatch and newborns push their way through cool sands,
You should be there, to shine their path to warm salt waters, to swim and mate for years and years and years
Now too often confused by man with lighted pink, concrete condos and shiny, metal streetlamps,
That hatched turtles now pursue,
Polluted oceans now much emptier of new, small, grateful life. So sad.
Caterpillars that survive hungry fledglings and blossom to colorful, nocturnal moths,
You should be there, to keep them on petals, anthers and stigmas, pollen waiting to be shared,
For life giving plants producing offspring, seeds for more flowers and fruit, sugar for fungi,
Now too often attracted by man’s lighted porch globes: circling and circling, too distracted, too tired to pollinate. So sad.
Fireflies blink their bioluminescence, over summer grasses, flying slow and gently in the wind,
You should be there, not too bright during their very short life, a mate they must find,
Now too often blanketed by man with skyglow and trespass, alone they must remain, young children with empty jars and folded wax papers. So sad.
And when we, the wandering, urban, terrestrial explorer ventures for a walk, after dusk and before dawn, sometimes lost, sometimes hand in hand,
You should be there too, to guide us naturally on the night-time trail, sometimes through rough seas,
For a romance with life that is wonderful: moonlight breezes, chorus frogs, hooting owls and, yes: lighted fireflies,
For beauty, for love, for peace, for a good night and better day.
Now too often just a distant memory, a poem read in a book, another evening in front of a TV.
Oh calm, bright beacons that should shine from darker, quiet, night skies above!
Orion, Ursa Minor, Centaurus, Venus and Mars,
Will you, can you, return to provide birds and turtles safe passage, keep moths on petals, pollinate plants, find the fireflies and guide nocturnal wanderers home?
Without compass and GPS?
I’m willing to turn my porch light off at night and others may be ready too,
For a return to safer paths, shepherded by man.
Photo courtesy of Blair Witherington
Aurora Borealis
— by Patsy Ruth Kreuzer, 12/25/21
Late one cool night an empty field I wandered
Full of thoughts, concerns and sleepless fuss
How many years left, I have started to ponder
Will I simply fall to sleep or cause others to cuss and discuss
An unexpected current of charged particles lifted my soul
Rippling currents, pulsing globs of cool threads slice
Woven cloth of colored fog wave and lift
Fingers motion up, down and jump for joy
Web forth, soar, creep, sweep and leap
Sea foam green cascades, floods and washes the dome
My troubles weaken and fade before this miraculous sight
How petty all the silly minutia feels
Red sky at night, sailors and my delight
My spirits renew as the colored particles away steal
Remember Lightning Bugs?
Much like the stars and planets, fireflies are dwindling due to night-time light pollution. During the last couple of years during the pandemic, IDA delegate Adam Kreuzer sent his neighbors a series of letters about how they can help these little sparks of joy and other creatures return to our backyards.
Letter One:
Hello Neighbor!
The recent virus has reminded us about the great outdoors. From our home at 351 Marion, we have watched so many more walkers, runners, bikers, skaters and dogs than we have watched for the almost 30 years that we have lived at our little house. Also, although a little chilly, it has been such a wonderful Spring. So green. So many flowers! And so quiet.
Recently, I volunteered to become a delegate for the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA). Our days have a day and a night. During the night, we should be able to more see stars and planets. We should be able to see our magnificent Milky Way. Unfortunately, because of light pollution, we can see with the naked eye only 31 of the tens of thousands of stars that we should be able to see. Only decades ago, before the flood of outdoor lights, we could see thousands of stars. We could see meteor showers.
Vincent van Gogh said while painting one of his many starry night masterpieces:
“It often seems to me that the night is much more alive and richly colored than the day.”
A couple weeks ago, I read on the internet an article on Firefly Conservation. Like the stars and planets, we also have fewer fireflies, also known as lightning bugs. After I became a delegate, I learned how much outdoor lighting affects not just the fireflies, but our night-time pollinators, like the moths. The moths are attracted to our bright white outdoor lights. Instead of pollinating our flowers, fruits and vegetables, they circle the lights and tire and die. Also, during Spring and Fall, many birds that migrate and travel to or through Glen Ellyn become distracted by the increasingly bright and unshielded LED night lights. Birds migrate a night. So many get lost in the bright lights. Some strike buildings. Too many birds and insects die because of night light pollution.
So, as we move into Summer when we bring out the lawn chairs, light a little backyard fire, look up at the sky and watch and catch a few fireflies, I’d like to challenge our short street (maybe one of the shortest in Glen Ellyn) to manage the intensity and duration of our outdoor lights/lighting. While I understand that many of us cannot afford to replace our outdoor fixtures with fixtures that shield the light from shining up and out from our homes and garages, we can install LED bulbs that remove the bright blue light. We can install bulbs that are not more than 2700 Kelvin and not more than 800 lumens. These bulbs are inexpensive and are available at all local hardware stores. Also, and maybe more importantly, we can turn off our outdoor lights after 10pm or after whatever time makes us most comfortable. We can use motion sensors.
Hopefully, we can have a block party again this summer. Although we may have to keep our distance and wear a mask, we can have a fire or two in our street, turn off the lights and look up to the sky together. Maybe we can also enjoy a few more fireflies. If any of you are interested, please stop to chat or email me at Kreuzer351@gmail.com. Also, please visit the IDA website; www.darksky.org or the IDA Facebook or Instagram pages. Let’s Go Dark!
Your neighbor, Adam
Letter Two:
Hello Neighbor!
From when we sent our first letter about outdoor light pollution and fireflies, we have noticed that many of you have decided to keep your lights off at night or have decided to turn your lights off at 10ish. THANK YOU!
The fireflies have started to join us. With less outdoor lighting at night, the fireflies can better communicate and find a mate. As a result, we will have more and more fireflies lighting our yards naturally. These jewels of the night depend on us to improve their habitat.
Last week was International Pollinator’s Week. When we think of pollinators, we mostly think of bees and butterflies, including the monarch butterfly. I’ve noticed that many of us have a Village of Glen Ellyn “We Support Pollinators” sign displayed proudly in our yards or gardens.
This week, Xerces Society published an article titled; The Night Shift: Moths as Nocturnal Pollinators. When our day-active (diurnal) pollinators turn in for the evening, nocturnal pollinators, such as moths, take the night shift to pollinate our flowers, including many flowers that are not often visited by diurnal pollinators.
Unfortunately, like many of our nocturnal wildlife friends, moths are very much affected by artificial light at night. Artificial lights disorientate moths, and recent research has found this can impair with finding mates, evading predators and pollinating plants. A recent study found that nocturnal visits to plants was reduced by 63 percent in areas with artificial illumination compared to more dark areas!
For those of us who prefer to leave our lights on through the night, please consider installing “Soft White” LED bulbs and new fixtures that shield the light down onto the ground as compared to out and up. Soft White bulbs, which are 2700 Kelvin and 450 lumens (40 watts), have significantly less blue/white light and are very much less intrusive. Better yet, regardless of the bulb we choose, a fixture that guides our light down onto our stoops, aprons and drives will remove the artificial light from our lawns and, most importantly, our gardens and flowers. If you would like to see examples, we have new fixtures on our house and garage at 351 Marion. You can also see examples at www.darksky.org.
We remain hopeful that we can schedule our Covid-friendly dark-sky block party for August or early September. Again, my email address is Kreuzer351@gmail.com
Thank you and I hope you are enjoying our darker little street!
Your neighbor and International Dark Sky delegate, Adam Kreuzer
Letter Three:
Hello Neighbor!
A year has passed since my first Hello regarding how artificial lights at night (ALAN) affect our nocturnal pollinators and, of course, our lovely twinkling friends; the firefly. Many of you are now turning off your exterior lights before bedtime and many of you have changed to soft white LED bulbs. Our little street is darker than it was before our first Hello. Thank you!
Since last year, on behalf of the International Dark Sky Association, I have given almost a dozen Zoom webinars, including a webinar for Glen Ellyn’s Earth Day Symposium, a recording of which is available at the Glen Ellyn Park District’s website. Because of its concerns about amounts of harmful outdoor lights in the nighttime environment, the County of DuPage recently resolved to adhere to the International Dark Sky recommendations. This July 6th, I will be presenting to the DuPage County Forest Preserve District.
This week is National Pollinator Week and Lights Out for Lightning Bugs week. Since last year, many more studies have been published about the adverse affects of ALAN on nocturnal pollinators and lighting bugs. For lightning bugs, it is now well established that lawn chemicals and ALAN are the primary causes of the widespread loss of our firefly population. So sad.
Read Valerie Blaine’s blog post: Kill the Lights, Save the Birds
Lastly, although not addressed with my 2020 Hello Neighbors, ALAN also very much affects migrating birds. On June 8, 2021, the Chicago Tribune reported on its front page a recent study from the Field Museum that concluded that bird mortality is significantly decreased when lights are turned off at night. When lights were turned off at one downtown building, 80% fewer birds struck that building. Chicago now has a lights out initiative during Spring and Fall migration seasons. Injured birds are rescued at the Willowbrook Nature Center in Glen Ellyn.
So, if you can, please remember to turn off your exterior lights at bedtime. Use not more than 2700 Kelvin (soft white) bulbs with lumens at not more than 450. If possible, replace your exterior fixtures with fixtures that direct the light to the ground, not out or up. We have samples on our porch and garage at 351.
Again, thanks and Go Dark!
Adam Kreuzer
Valentine’s Day and the Night Sky
Feb 13, 2023
Dark, star-filled skies have inspired expressions of love for millennia. What better time than Valentine’s Day to consider the outpouring of passion and awe brought about by the splendor of the night sky?
Each day this week we’ll post a poem expressing love inspired by the beauty of the night sky. If the skies are clear where you live, take a moment to step outside at night, gaze at the heavens, and be inspired!
Different Kinds of Love
There are different kinds of love
An example is a fireworks love
At first, you're in awe
You're really really enchanted to watch it
To feel the excitement bubbling in
But eventually, the excitement you're feeling will subside
And of course, the fireworks itself will eventually stop and fade away
But in true love
It's not just fireworks
It's stars
Because they will always stay there in the nightsky even after 8 gazillion years
- MMM
From www.hellopoetry.com
Love and the Night Sky
Feb 15, 2023
Today's poem of love and the night sky was written by none other than The Bard himself, William Shakespeare. In this sonnet, he compares his beloved's eyes with the stars.
Sonnet XIV
Not from the stars do I my judgement pluck;
And yet methinks I have Astronomy,
But not to tell of good or evil luck,
Of plagues, of dearths, or seasons' quality;
Nor can I fortune to brief minutes tell,
Pointing to each his thunder, rain and wind,
Or say with princes if it shall go well
By oft predict that I in heaven find:
But from thine eyes my knowledge I derive,
And, constant stars, in them I read such art
As truth and beauty shall together thrive,
If from thyself, to store thou wouldst convert;
Or else of thee this I prognosticate:
Thy end is truth's and beauty's doom and date.
Feb 16
Polaris, the North Star
Humans have gazed in wonder at Polaris, the North Star, for thousands of years. Nineteenth century poet John Keats, in poor health and aware of his short time on earth, was inspired by the steadfastness of this star. Polaris is at the heart of one of Keats' most famous poems, symbolizing eternal love and purity.
“Bright star, would I were stedfast as thou art”
Bright star, would I were stedfast as thou art—
Not in lone splendour hung aloft the night
And watching, with eternal lids apart,
Like nature's patient, sleepless Eremite,
The moving waters at their priestlike task
Of pure ablution round earth's human shores,
Or gazing on the new soft-fallen mask
Of snow upon the mountains and the moors—
No—yet still stedfast, still unchangeable,
Pillow'd upon my fair love's ripening breast,
To feel for ever its soft fall and swell,
Awake for ever in a sweet unrest,
Still, still to hear her tender-taken breath,
And so live ever—or else swoon to death.