The Western Slope Dark Sky Coalition (WSDSC) announced a new executive director, Olivia Bobbitt. WSDSC representatives said Bobbitt, who lives in the West End, “demonstrates enthusiasm, drive, competence and passion.”
“She has a desire to promote the coalition's mission to preserve the increasingly rare and star-filled skies of our region,” they added. “She will help us continue to foster the adoption of DarkSky International model lighting codes through cooperation with various government entities and the general public.”
Bobbitt, in a news release, said she was thrilled.
“I want to take a moment to share the deeper vision guiding my leadership,” she said. "My love for star-filled sky goes far beyond aesthetics. We are literally made of stardust, and when I look up at a dark, natural sky, I'm reminded that we are a part of something far larger than we can fully comprehend.”
Bobbitt said light pollution doesn't just wash out stars.
“It disconnects people from a sense of belonging, from the universe we're part of, from rhythms that have shaped life on Earth for millennia,” she said.
According to her, protecting the night sky isn't only about visibility. She said it's about reconnection to the environment, health and a shared humanity. Her goal is to educate others.
“We live in a world saturated with artificial light, from streetlights to screens,” Bobbitt said. “Our circadian rhythms are disrupted, our attention is constantly pulled towards glowing devices, and many people don't realize how deeply this affects their well-being. We can't expect people to change what they don't understand, but perspectives shift when people learn how natural darkness supports health, children's development and even the well-being of their livestock and ecosystems.”
Bobbitt said those living on the Western Slope are fortunate. She believes as more people understand the benefits of natural darkness, more will join in preserving the night sky.
“With astrotourism on the rise, our region has the potential to become a model for what it looks like to nurture and protect a truly dark sky,” she said, “inspiring visitors to return home and take action in their own communities.”
Additionally, WSDSC announced the addition of Kiki Grant, new website-social media-merchandise manager. Representatives of the coalition said Grant has already started promoting the WSDSC donation page and two renown astro-photographers and their dark sky astrophotos on the website, www.westcoloradodarksky.org.
Coalition representatives said they’re grateful for the two new employees and believe both will help manage WSDSC’s burgeoning growth.
Currently, there are 19 Dark Sky Places in the state of Colorado; seven of those are DarkSky Communities. There are at least 35 more DarkSky International applications in the Colorado pipeline. WSDSC exists to facilitate this growth and help the Western Slope regional dark sky places file applications, become certified and then maintain those certifications.
In other Dark Sky news, former coalition board president and retired atmospheric scientist Dr. Bob Grossman has stepped back to become a special manager to the DarkSky International certification application, for San Miguel County’s Dark Sky Reserve. In the meantime, vice president Deb Stueber has stepped in as the coaltion looks for Grossman’s replacement.
Grossman accomplished much to preserve the local area's dark skies. He led the effort to achieve DarkSky International certification for Norwood, helped West End Dark Sky Alliance achieve joint DarkSky International certification for Nucla-Naturita, and he worked with San Miguel County Commissioners to revise the land use code to add DarkSky International approved lighting codes. He was also instrumental in creating the Western Slope Dark Sky Coalition and contributed many articles, scientific papers, research and expert advice.
The coalition now looks forward to his expert help in establishing a regional Dark Sky Reserve. The future San Miguel County Dark Sky Reserve will be the first time an entire county will be certified by DarkSky International. The hope is that other connecting counties will also become attached to preserve a large swath of dark sky for southwest Colorado.
