JEFFERSON CITY, MO, NOV. 25, 2024 – Missouri State Parks announced today that DarkSky International has certified Thousand Hills State Park in Kirksville as an Urban Night Sky Place. A culmination of years of collaborative effort, the certification validates the park’s work in protecting the night sky above and around the city from the effects of light pollution.
"This achievement reflects the dedication of Thousand Hills State Park, DarkSky Missouri, Truman State University and the city of Kirksville to reducing light pollution as a vital step toward protecting and celebrating the region's significant cultural and natural resources,” said Amber Harrison, International Dark Sky Places program manager. “It is encouraging to see so many collaborators supporting this effort."
Ryan Persinger, superintendent of Thousand Hills State Park, spearheaded the initiative to promote night sky preservation and light pollution abatement. He has worked diligently in making certain the park met the standards to earn the certification.
“First, we had to determine which DarkSky certification the park would qualify for, and then we worked to get the park lighting and management plans to meet those requirements. We developed a light management plan for the park and inventoried all the outdoor light fixtures in the park,” Persinger said. “After getting 67% of the park lights to meet the certification requirements and getting community support letters, we were able to submit our application to DarkSky International.”
The idea for the DarkSky certification came about in early 2020 from a group of Truman State University students under the guidance of their professor Dr. Vayujeet Gokhale. Persinger then worked with both DarkSky Missouri and DarkSky International for application and certification requirements and guidance. The park team worked with the Adair County Public Library and Truman State University on dark sky and astronomy programming and gathered community support letters.
By 2021, Persinger submitted the initial certification inquiry to start the process with DarkSky Missouri, and by September 2024, Thousand Hills State Park received their certification. The park’s outdoor lighting is currently 78% compliant with plans to be 100% compliant by the end of 2025.
“We work to keep the light pollution in and around our parks to a minimum to help protect the beauty of the night,” said David Kelly, director of Missouri State Parks. “We view this park as a beautiful area, near a large city, where our guests can enjoy the darkness and beautiful night skies that our ancestors enjoyed.”
Thousand Hills State Park now joins more than 220 Dark Sky Places that have demonstrated robust community support for dark sky advocacy and strive to protect the night from light pollution. Learn more by visiting darksky.org/what-we-do/international-dark-sky-places/.
Thousand Hills State Park is located at 20431 State Highway 157 in Kirksville, Missouri. For more information on state parks and historic sites, visit mostateparks.com. Missouri State Parks is a division of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.
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Photo caption: Pictured right to left are Dr. Vayujeet Gokhale of Truman State University; Jesze Doleh and Ryan Persinger from Thousand Hills State Park; Missouri State Parks Director David Kelly; Missouri State Parks Deputy Director Melanie Smith; Missouri State Parks Deputy Regional Director Brett Barnes; and Missouri State Parks Regional Director Dustin Webb.
About the International Dark Sky Places Program: Founded in 2001, the International Dak Sky Places Program is a nonregulatory and voluntary program encouraging communities, parks and protected areas worldwide to preserve and protect dark sites through effective lighting policies, environmentally responsible outdoor lighting and public education. When used indiscriminately, artificial light can disrupt ecosystems, impact human health, waste money and energy, contribute to climate change and block our view and connection to the universe. Learn more at darksky.org.
