Utah Gov. Spencer Cox declared April as Dark Sky Month to celebrate the state’s leadership in Dark Sky preservation.
In the Wasatch Back, Jordanelle, Rockport and East Canyon state parks are official DarkSky parks.
While Wasatch Mountain State Park doesn’t have the designation, park ranger and naturalist Kathy Donnell said the park is raising awareness with a dark sky celebration Saturday, April 19.
“We have a lot of lights in our cities and towns, and we just like to promote that people should turn off their lights,” she said on KPCW’s “Local News Hour” Friday. “It's not healthy for us or the wildlife, or we can't see the skies at night, you know, they're just absolutely beautiful.”
Light pollution can interfere with sleep patterns and animal behavior. According to the park, wild areas need natural darkness for hunting, foraging, navigation and more. The park recommends locals install dark sky-friendly lights that point down.
Summit and Wasatch counties already have dark skies ordinances in place to prevent light pollution and the trend is spreading.
Wasatch Mountain State Park’s dark sky celebration is Saturday from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. The recent rain and snow has Donnell hoping the clouds move out soon.
“Hopefully we'll have clear skies and we'll be able to see some stars. If not, we still have activities inside that we're doing,” she said.
While the event is sold out, Donnell said those interested can email her at kathydonnell@utah.gov to check if more room becomes available.
Tickets are $6 for adults and $4 for kids 11 and under.
