Dark skies shine bright in Wimberley

WIMBERLEY — Recently named the “Dark Sky Place of the Year” by the DarkSky International, Wimberley strives to maintain its dark sky status with an increasing population size.

“Being a dark skies community is more than just the dark skies,” Wimberley City Council member Rebecca Minnick explained. “We’re a community. People come here for the wildlife and nature.”

With its scenery and unique traditions, it’s no mystery why Wimberley’s population continues to grow.

It’s significant on its own that Wimberley won such a title, but what makes it more remarkable is the fact that the city is in such a metropolitan area, whereas other dark skies communities in Texas are secluded.

“You can still have growth and a robust business community if you can comply with the rules and the guidelines.” Minnick said.

With its bi-annual and annual local parties, there’s no doubt why Wimberley has such a strong sense of community running through the city. Wimberely regularly throws “star parties” where the Texas State Astronomy Club and the Wimberley Valley Dark Sky Committee bring their telescopes and share their knowledge. Upwards of 100 people come together at Blue Hole Regional Park and enjoy the stars, but it doesn’t stop there. Wimberley also hosts an annual “Howl at the Moon” dance party, where local residents dance together under the moonlight.

With there only being 43 dark sky communities in the whole world, Minnick said it’s something they “would like to see expand.”

Currently, light pollution is growing at nearly 2% every year and it doesn't just affect the night skies. It affects wildlife, the planet and people. Many studies claim that artificial light at night can disrupt melatonin production and circadian rhythm, which is a human’s “biological clock.” Disruptions to these processes are known to increase risk of obesity and mood disorders, according to the National Health Institute.

DarkSky International provides additional information on the benefits of dark skies to human health and alternative night lights. There are also concerns with light pollution disrupting food webs and ecosystems, as many nocturnal species rely on the dark as a cover. Animals that  migrate, such as sea turtles or birds, are affected because they use moonlight as a guide. With all of the artificial light, they get confused, lose their way and oftentimes die. Because of this, many cities have adopted a “lights out” program to turn off building lights during bird migration.

While there are increasing regulations put in place to reduce light pollution, there could be benefits to more dark sky communities throughout the world. Dark sky communities like Wimberely not only value the health and environmental effects of lights at night, but they also value the preservation of beauty and the importance of connecting with nature.

To learn more about dark sky protocols, visit www.darksky.org.