News & Events
2025

Tuesday, February 18, 2025
Join the Urban Birds team at BirdLife Australia
for our first Birds Meet webinar of the year – a captivating journey into the surprising ways birds adapt to changing environments, especially those shaped by light. This free event will explore how light pollution impacts birds, from the sleep cycles of urban species to the astonishing behaviours of Pectoral Sandpipers thriving in the constant daylight of the Arctic summer. Discover how birds push their physical and behavioural boundaries to survive and adapt in these extreme environments..
About the presenter:
Dr. Anne Aulsebrook, is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Deakin University with a passion for uncovering the quirks of bird behaviour. Anne’s research spans bustling cities with buzzing streetlights to the untouched expanses of the Arctic. Before joining Deakin, she worked at the world-renowned Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, where she investigated how shorebirds navigate a world without true darkness


Valuing Darkness
March 19-21, 2025
Symposium and Round Table
Hosted by the Australiasian Dark Sky Alliance, Exhibition Centre, Melbourne VIC
The Valuing Darkness Symposium is a key event for professionals and advocates dedicated to protecting our night skies.
The ADSA and Dep. Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, will host a roundtable event, building on the released National Light Pollution Guidelines. Ratified by countries worldwide, they are a landmark step toward protecting biodiversity and preserving the integrity of our night skies.
Organised by the Australasian Dark Sky Alliance (ADSA) and co-hosted by the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES), International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD), and the Network for Ecological Research on Artificial Light (NERAL), this three-day symposium will explore light pollution’s impact on urban planning, ecology, human health, and cultural heritage.
There will be an emphasis on policy, technology, and best practices for sustainable lighting. It will foster collaboration among designers, policymakers, and advocates dedicated to protecting natural darkness for future generations.
Supported by the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW), this is a must-attend for those passionate about preserving the night.
International Dark Sky Week



International Dark Sky Week
April 21-28, 2025
Why care about or pay any attention to this event?
Because it provides us with the opportunity to pause for a minute or maybe an hour, to consider how we are treating the night sky.
How we are effectively shutting out the stars that are there but have become invisible because we have been using lights inappropriately and, as a consequence, produced massive amounts of sky glow, that is blocking our ability to see what our ancestors took for granted.
Join us for a week of dark sky celebration, learning, and action!
What is International Dark Sky Week?
It’s a week long worldwide event that draws attention to light pollution, promotes simple solutions to mitigate the issue, and celebrates the irreplaceable beauty of a natural night.
International Dark Sky Week (IDSW) was started by high school student Jennifer Barlow in 2003 and is now spearheaded by DarkSky International. In explaining why she started the week, Barlow said, “I want people to be able to see the wonder of the night sky without the effects of light pollution. The universe is our view into our past and our vision into the future. I want to help preserve its wonder.”
When is International Dark Sky Week?
IDSW is an annual event occurring in April (Global Astronomy Month), during the week of the new moon when night skies are darkest, April 21-28, 2025.
How can I celebrate
International Dark Sky Week?
- Visit the official event website at darksky.org!
- Get together with friends and family and go outside at night. A lot of us don’t take the opportunity to experience the nighttime environment. Go outside, look up and look around. Lots of interesting stuff is happening during the night. Looking for some adventure? Plan a trip to the dark side.
- Help spread the word about light pollution and the importance of dark skies. This week is a great excuse to talk with friends, family, neighbours, your homeowner’s association, or government representatives about why protecting our night environment is so crucial.
- Become a citizen scientist and collect data about the night sky in your neighborhood for Globe at Night. It’s fun, easy and you’ll be helping scientists across the globe better understand the threat of light pollution to our planet.
- Stopping light pollution isn’t just about seeing the stars. There are other important things at stake, too. Use this week to take the time to learn more about the effect of artificial light at night on human health, the environment, energy waste, crime and safety and our heritage of night skies.
- Join the conversation! Use the hashtag #IDSW on social media to share how you’re celebrating International Dark Sky Week and connect with other people passionate about dark skies. Check out DarkSky on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
Take the DarkSky Pledge to protect the night …
https://idsw.darksky.org/pledge

The Dark Sky community is building and now includes a city
True. Light pollution is getting worse. True, it doesn’t have to continue to get worse. There are good people making an effort to alert us

Less is best. A headlamp can suffice.
Less is best If the best light is the light that focuses on the subject and doesn’t spread out to shine where it’s not needed,

Skyglow and glare are a health hazard, Light pollution harms wildlife and human health, Our attitude to how we treat sky country
Time to pull the block out curtains, to block out the glow and glare of ALAN (see story below) for the sake of our companion

Where has the starry night sky gone?
Ever wondered where the starry night sky has gone? Well of course, it hasn’t gone anywhere. WHAT HAS HAPPENED, is, the night sky has been

Unite to protect the night
100 Nights of a Lifetime The World’s Ultimate Adventures After Dark, featuring Stephanie Vermilliion Join Dark Sky International on December 18th for an inspiring talk

Light to protect the night and Wildlife deserve a dark sky
Wildlife deserve a dark sky Some goals are easier to achieve than others. This is one of them, so let’s do it. A DARK SKY