National Public Observatory's
Stars-n-Parks

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Who, What
& Where Is It?
By: Thom Bemus, NPO Stars-n-Parks Coordinator

-- Every weekend at sites all across the United States an amazing thing happens. Hundreds of volunteer educators, using their own equipment, bring the wonders of the night sky down to Earth for many thousands of people to see. Why? Because the science of astronomy is unlike any other science. Stargazing touches something deep, even primordial in our souls .... it inspires awe and fires our natural curiosity.

-- What makes this phenomenon, this labor of love, performed by an army of volunteers really amazing is that no one directs them to do it, they simply make it happen. Even more astounding is that these volunteer educators work under a shroud of light pollution that is rapidly worsening and hides the true splendor of most celestial objects they are trying to show the vast majority of our population. They are in a race to show as many people as possible that there is still wonder and awe just over their heads even as the glow of wasted light (and therefore energy) robs most people of access to the night sky. Unfortunately for the vast majority of the people they can't see anything more than Moon and handful of the brightest stars and planets in their light polluted skies at home

-- Interestingly though, many of this army of volunteers will soon have much more time to devote to astronomy education due to demographics. Many of these people who tirelessly labor under light polluted skies to bring the wonders of the night sky to the general public will be retiring over the next five to ten years and moving to places with darker skies, making an already impressive resource even more capable.

-- It is only when people vacation far from the glow of city lights of home seen below that they can really experience the magnificent skies that mankind routinely enjoyed from the dawn of time up until the early 1960's. It only took my astronomical interaction with one star-struck, couple from New York City who were camping at Cherry Springs State Park in the summer of 1996 for me to realize that the volunteer astronomy education army and the unique resource represented by rural dark-sky parks were two resources that desperately needed to be joined. I also believed that a new type of eco-tourism could also thrive in these frequently economically depressed rural areas, another positive spin-off of marrying the astronomy education army and dark skies.

-- However, forging partnerships between dark-sky parks and volunteer educators remained just a vague concept until I heard of a new organization called the National Public Observatory which sought to provide an immersive, family-oriented, astronomy education experience. After meeting with the NPO's leaders it was obvious that our goals were both compatible and complimentary. Stars-n-Parks would act not only to help preserve and utilize dark-sky enclaves around the country, but it would also be the perfect vehicle to reach thousands of people when they are under the only dark skies they normally experience ..... those over a rural park.

-- The question was, where to start? There had to be a first place, a place to test the ideas and demonstrate that the Stars-n-Parks concept could work. Why not where the idea was born, at Cherry Springs State Park in rural north-central Pennsylvania. I pondered how to approach park management with what I was sure was going to sound like a pretty crazy proposal. Finally I decided to just lay out my plan and see if they had any interest. So I sent the park manager an email outlining my proposal to have regularly scheduled astronomy education programming and stargazing at the park and to ultimately host larger gathering of stargazers. Fortunately my proposal found its way to Chip Harrison, a park manager with vision and enthusiasm who was willing to take a chance on promoting something never before done. Chip and I have worked closely together to hone the Stars-n-Parks concept, make it easier to spread to new sites and to improve its operational capability.

-- After a very productive 3-year relationship with both the local and state levels of Pennsylvania State Parks, in April 2001 Cherry Springs State Park was designated as the prototype for the Stars-n-Parks program. Parts of the program are already in place and operating. Internet promotion of Cherry Springs as an astronomy eco-tourism site has been on-line for over 5-years and has been highly successful in bringing many thousands of visitors to CSSP. There is also a program in place to shield nearby lights to prevent degradation of the skies at the park and the NPO is also available to area governments as an advisory partner in the battle against light pollution. Regularly scheduled education work began during the 2001 season and a classroom partnership with the science teachers across Potter and Tioga county is already taking shape. By mid-April of 2002 we had astronomer/educators conducting the first full season of public education observing at Cherry Springs State Park. Interest has been so high that a new local astronomy club called the God's Country Astronomical Society has been formed and is now assisting with the Stars-n-Parks events. Our efforts at Cherry Springs State Park and the unique dark-sky resource at the park promted the state to declare the park PA.'s first "official" dark-sky park.

-- The future looks dark and starry for the NPO's Stars-n-Parks program. In addition to Cherry Springs State Park and Rickett's Glen State Park in Pennsylvania we are also doing programming at five state parks in southern and central New Mexico and Long Point State Park, Lake Erie State Park and Luensman Overlook Park in rural southwestern N.Y. state and the Heart's Content N.F.S. Scenic Area south of Warren, PA. I'd urge you to come out and experience the night sky the way it was meant to be seen and see what is possible with the Stars-n-Parks program, I think you'll be amazed!