DarkSky West Marin is a community-led initiative dedicated to preserving the night sky in this environmentally rich and uniquely biodiverse region. It is formed by the villages of West Marin diligently working together to become an International “DarkSky West Marin Community.”

Light Pollution Petition

Your action is needed!

Our dark skies are critical to the future of life on Earth so we must make every effort to protect and preserve them. West Marin is one of the few places where the Milky Way is still visible, but increasingly light pollution is putting this at risk. Excess outdoor lighting disrupts wildlife, wastes energy, affects human health, and erases the night sky that make our region so stunning and unique.

We are asking individuals and organizations to sign a petition asking Marin County leaders to pass an outdoor lighting ordinance that reduces unnecessary light pollution while maintaining safety. This petition is a way to show the Board of Supervisors that DSWM has community support and the goal of maintaining dark night skies is important to all of us.

Please sign our petition by clicking this link or click on our logo below.

Every signature makes a difference! Protecting our night sky is an investment in our environment, our community, and in future generations.

If you wish to make a donation to DSWM, click here to access our donate page.

Please note:

On the petition, there is a donation button, BUT that collects donations for change.org not DarkSky West Marin.
Some folks have had trouble with the petition taking their address info. If this happens omit your street address and /or PO Box, use only name of town and zip code.

Thank you!

DarkSky West Marin

Why Dark Sky?

Darkness is crucial to human health and even survival. We believe now more than ever that experiencing the beauty of the night is crucial both for humans and the world around us.

If you’ve ever had a sense of calm while looking up at the moon, or laying in a field and looking at the stars, then you’ve experienced something fundamental to humans. The changing of day into night is a process that’s embedded in each one of us and in nature. There are species of migratory birds that have evolved to navigate based on the subtle cues of moonlight reflecting on the waters below.

Recent studies have shown that fully experiencing darkness triggers numerous biological processes that repair DNA, protect against diseases such as cancer and diabetes, and can regulate depression and anxiety. It is even suggested that darkness can increase neural plasticity and creativity.

If you’re curious, visit a dark-sky spot on a clear night, turn off your lights, and let the darkness do its work. Give your eyes time to adjust — after about 20 minutes, your night vision will increase as your eyes produce rhodopsin, known as visual purple. You never know, you may get lucky with an owl sighting or seeing a shooting star.

Come, join us in preserving the dark sky.

Courtesy of MartyKnapp.com