Chad earned a master's degree in earth science in 1996, and began working for the US National Park Service shortly thereafter. His tasks range from river restoration to air quality sampling, but he is perhaps best known for his work with night skies. Chad is the program manager for a small team of scientist that measure, restore, and promote the proper management of the night sky resource. He and team member Dan Duriscoe have developed an automated all-sky camera capable of precise measurement of light pollution. For the past two years they have been busy inventorying the night sky at several US national parks.

National Park Night Skies: An Integral Element or Merely a Backdrop?

While park managers are adept at measuring ecological parameters such as population density, biodiversity, or water quality, little effort is made to quantify and thus manage the transcendental experiences that are the hallmark of a national park. Few here would argue that the night sky is an integral part of a park or wilderness experience. Yet the starry sky is one of many evocative experiences that are orphaned by government land managers. Alternative perspectives on the night sky resource are presented as well as examples of how such a resource can be quantified and managed.

The night sky is a key connection between the modern park visitor and the natural or primeval world. It links us to our philosophical vision of nature, a distant past, and our understanding of the universe. It is no less important to our modern spiritual compass than of humans of long past.

Presentation by Chad Moore, US National Park Service

SPEAKERS

Bidwell, Tony
Buchanan, Bryant
Crawford, Dr. David L.
Dick, Robert Stephen
Dickinson, Terence
French, Randy P.
Hill, Tom
Hills, Reverend Johanne
Hollan, Jenik
Hummel, Monte
Lickers, F. Henry
Lockley, Steven W.
Mesure, Michael
Moore, Chad A.
Reid, Ron
Riley, John L.
Roberts, Dr. Joan
Rutenberg, Tony
Shaver, Dorothy
Welch, David
Whitehead, Brian
Wise, Sharon