Friday night lights at Texan Stadium in Wimberley will now be a little more environmentally friendly this season.
During the summer, Wimberley ISD completed an overhaul of light fixtures at Wimberley High’s football stadium, which was done to accommodate to the town’s new Dark Sky community designation, according to a press release. Fixing the lights was part of the district’s $45.5 million bond package, which was approved by voters in May. According to the press release, the lights are new and “noise-free.”
During the summer, Wimberley ISD completed an overhaul of light fixtures at Wimberley High’s football stadium to accommodate to the town’s new Dark Sky community designation.
Earlier this year, the International Dark Sky Association named Wimberley a Dark Sky community; the city joins Dripping Springs and Horseshoe Bay, the only two other towns in Texas with the designation.
Towns that are designated as Dark Sky communities promote responsible lighting to residents and entities alike. That can come in the form of implementation and enforcement of a outdoor lighting ordinance, as well as educating and supporting dark sky initiatives.
“We all benefit when we work together as a community to protect our natural environment including our night sky,” said Cathy Moreman, Wimberley Valley Chamber of Commerce executive director in a statement. “I applaud Wimberley ISD for their efforts to make a huge difference in this cause. Our students and future generations will be able to enjoy and be inspired by the stars, big and bright.”
According to the release, the new lights at Texan Stadium minimize the harmful effects of light pollution and only shed light on the area that needs it.
The new lights are not “brighter than necessary, minimize blue light emissions and are fully shielded,” according to the release.
“All of us at Wimberley ISD are really excited to have replaced some older, expensive lights which did not meet Dark Sky Friendly standards,” said Wimberley ISD Superintendent Dwain York. “In addition to supporting our community’s focus on preserving the night sky, we are saving money on costly replacement bulbs.”
The new lights will be on display Friday when Wimberley (1-1) hosts rival Canyon Lake in its home opener at 7:30 p.m.
