Greeting Gallileo Again: A Christian Response to the Night Sky

Christianity, like science, is changing as new discoveries increase our knowledge of
the Bible. This presentation will look at how early people regarded the stars: their
interpretation of what they were viewing. It will explore the well known tension between
faith and science and move toward a new perspective on the stars.

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.

Reverend Johanne Hills, MDiv

Johanne received her Masters of Divinity from Emmanuel College, University of Toronto.
She is presently the Minister of Trinity United Church in Gravenhurst. Johanne is a
regular newspaper columnist on issues of religion and spirituality as well as a lecturer in
comparative religion at Georgian College in Barrie, Ontario. Johanne is a frequent, all-
season visitor to our Torrance Barrens Night Sky Reserve.

 F. Henry Lickers

 F. Henry Lickers is a member of Seneca Nation, Turtle Clan. He has been married for 33 years and has three children. He has been the Director of the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne, Department of the Environment for the past 26 years.

During this time, he has been principle investigator on the EAGLE ( Effect on Aboriginal in the Great Lakes Environment ) Project and the Naturalized Knowledge Systems Project and the First Nation’s Community Health Indicators Project, all of these projects are investigating First Nations Environmental issues.

Some of his other commitments have been:

Co-Chair of the COSEWIC Aboriginal Subcommittee.
Member of the Science and Technology Advisory Council to Environment Canada.
Scientific Co-Chair, The Haudenosaunee Environmental Taskforce.
Vice President, Board of Director, St. Lawrence River Institute of Environmental Sciences.
Board of Director, Eastern Ontario Model Forest.
Scientific Co-Chair, The Assembly of First Nations Environment Committee.

Past Board Member of the International Joint Commission, Science Advisory Board.
Past Member of the Panel on Ecological Integrity of Canada’s National Parks.
Past Member, The Scientific Advisory Committee, Northern River Basin Study.
Past Board Member, Canadian Environmental Assessment Research Council.

Chad Moore

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.