PORT ANGELES — Two International Dark-Sky Association members will herald their organization’s efforts to combat light pollution during “The Battle Against Light Pollution” at 6 p.m. Thursday.
Members of the public are invited to the free program in the Clallam County commissioners’ meeting room, Room 160, at the county courthouse, 223 E. Fourth St.
Speakers will highlight light pollution causes, its carbon footprint, effects on wildlife and human health and offer insights about astronomy and humans’ connection to the night sky during the presentation.
“It’s a fight we can win, if we have the will,” said International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) speakers David W. Ingram and John L. Goar in a news release.
Ingram is a Dark Skies Northwest (DSNW) chapter leader, whose personal interest in science, the night sky and astronomy dates back to his high school days in the 1960s.
As a chapter leader, his work includes education and public outreach presentations, as well as support and empowerment to citizens, schools, and various organizations.
In addition to his IDA duties, Ingram volunteers at Glacier National Park’s summer astronomy program.
He retired from Boeing after a 34-year career in aviation and space technology.
Goar, also an IDA member, serves as an Olympic National Park astronomy outreach volunteer and North Kitsap High School science teacher in Poulsbo.
He has led free, public telescope programs at Hurricane Ridge for eight summers and full moon hikes to Hurricane Hill.
His amateur induction into astronomy embarked in 2000.
Since then, he has become a certified master observer with the Astronomical League, a nationwide confederation of astronomy clubs.
His accolades include the 2016 George and Helen Hartzog Volunteer National Park Service Award and a 2017 Presidential Lifetime Service Award by former President Barack Obama.
Information and a schedule for summer astronomy programs in 2018 can be found at Goar’s website www.olympictelescope.com.
The program is hosted by the Sierra Club North Olympic Group as part of its free public program series.
The IDA is a Tuscon, Ariz.-based nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving natural nighttime environments by educating policymakers and the public about night sky conservation and promoting environmentally-friendly methods to provide minimally intrusive outdoor lighting, according to a news release.
For more information, visit www.darksky.org and sierraclub.org/washington/north-olympic.
