Did you know that leaving lights on around your house or apartment, as well as street and commercial building lights, harm migrating birds this time of year? Certain insects such as Monarch butterflies also migrate now. The Annapolis area is part of the “Mid-Atlantic Flyway” and a critical location.
We are approaching peak migration so please consider joining the “Lights Out” national movement by turning off your outdoor lights and closing your shades at night. Nighttime light pollution negatively affects wildlife all year round, but during Fall and Spring migration it causes window strikes and the death of thousands of birds in Maryland. This artificial “night glow” affects their ability to use the night sky safely—as many birds fly overnight and the lights disorient their flight patterns and exhaust them.
Over the next months the Friends will be sharing more on steps individuals and commercial enterprises, as well as parks and public spaces, can undertake to make our region safer for wildlife. These recommendations will include the best color temperature of light bulbs as well as methods of directing outdoor lights that still are needed. By turning off unnecessary lights and gazing up into the dark sky, you may be amazed at the brightness of stars, planets and even constellations that stretch across our field of vision! If you want to explore this topic now on your own, check out https://darksky.org.
