DRIPPING SPRINGS — Last week, Dripping Springs City Council proclaimed September through November and March through May as “Lights Out Migratory Months.”
As part of the Audubon Lights Out Program that started in 1999, Dripping Springs residents — community members, business owners and government officials — are encouraged to turn off exterior lights from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. during the designated months to reduce light pollutants as birds travel through migration routes.
Every year, billions of birds migrate north in the spring and south in the fall, with the majority of them flying at night, navigating the night sky, according to Audubon. However, as they pass over big cities on their way, they can become disoriented by bright artificial lights and skyglow, often causing them to collide with buildings or windows.
Community members can do the following to help birds get where they need to go:
• Turn off exterior decorative lighting
• Use light only when and where needed
• Use only as much light as needed
• Aim needed lights down
• Extinguish recessed lights and floodlights
• Minimize blue light emissions
• Use energy efficient lighting sources and fixtures
• Use timers, dimmers and motion sensors
• Select warm LED bulbs that are under a 3,000 Kelvin rating
• Draw blinds or curtains to reduce light spill that contributes to sky glow
• Turn off interior lighting, especially on higher stories
• Businesses can substitute task and area lighting for workers staying late or pull window coverings and reduce atrium lighting wherever possible
The Lights Out Dripping Springs Program supports other initiatives including the city being designated as an International Dark Sky Community — it was the first in Texas to receive the distinction in 2014. The city also established an outdoor lighting ordinance, which has been in place since 2000, to reduce light pollution at night and to maintain the beauty of the night sky.
To learn more about the Lights Out Dripping Springs Program, visit www.cityofdrippingsprings.com/lights_out. More information about Audubon’s national program can be found at www.audubon.org/lights-out-program.
Dripping Springs residents urged to turn off lights for birds
People are asked to turn off excess lighting during the months migrating birds are flying overhead. This helps to provide birds safe passage between their nesting and wintering grounds.
- 09/13/2023 10:20 PM
