On January 14th, the Hill Country Alliance (HCA) announced the first-ever recipients of its Night Sky Preservation Fund. The selected projects vary across seven counties and together will improve regional night sky quality by improving outdoor lighting, educating communities about night skies preservation and its benefits, and measuring changes in our region’s sky quality over time.
With generous support from the Coypu Foundation, HCA established the fund last year and invited interested parties to apply during October’s annual Hill Country Night Sky Month. This new fund supports regional nonprofit organizations, local governmental entities, and small businesses interested in protecting their views of the starry night sky. By keeping light pollution at bay, these efforts help reduce energy waste, protect wildlife habitats and migratory pathways, make our roads safer for both drivers and pedestrians, and preserve our region’s stargazing and astro-tourism opportunities.
“We are honored to play a supporting role in these projects and grateful to everyone who applied to the fund this year.” said Katherine Romans, Executive Director for the Hill Country Alliance. “Our region is known for its awe-inspiring celestial vistas, and like so many things in the Hill Country, unless we work to protect them, we could easily lose those starry views as our region grows and the impacts of light pollution cloud the skies. The Night Sky Preservation Fund and the projects it enables will help achieve that goal.”
