USU launches student-led night sky monitoring

Ashley Starr spent last summer creating pamphlets for Golden Spike National Historical Park’s dark sky certification. This semester, she is bringing that expertise home to Logan. 

Starr, a sophomore wildlife ecology and management major, is working with Utah State University’s Wildlife Society chapter. The initiative, led by students, will train volunteers to measure sky brightness across Cache Valley. They plan to do this four times per year, collecting data to influence local lighting policy, according to Starr.  

“Light pollution is not just a human issue. It’s also a wildlife issue,” Starr said. “It messes with nocturnal signals and breeding habits.” 

The sky monitoring program materialized from Starr’s internship at the park, where she developed educational materials about light pollution’s impact on dark skies and conducted lighting audits. 

Starr worked with the National Audubon Society during the same period, where she monitored snowy plovers at the Great Salt Lake. When she mentioned her interest in dark skies, Audubon staff told her about their citizen science light pollution monitoring programs in St. George, Salt Lake City and Ogden. 

“I wanted to do something that was an event for Berryman [Institute] within the Wildlife Society,” Starr said. “I asked them if they were willing to do it up in Logan.” 

Audubon agreed. The program will also partner with Gilmore Sanctuary, Audubon’s local facility, to implement the dark skies monitoring protocol. It has already proven successful in other Utah communities.  

Volunteers will visit assigned areas across Cache Valley once per season — fall, winter, spring and summer — using sky quality meters to measure light pollution. The $155 worth of equipment measures artificial light radiating into the evening sky. 

Teams will collect on specified nights, spending roughly two hours checking three to five locations worth monitoring. The compiled data will be available for students working on geographic information system projects, city officials considering lighting ordinances or conservation groups tracking impacts on the environment.  

Audubon will provide a one-day training session before monitoring begins, meaning no experience is required. 

“Any major, anywhere,” Starr said when asked about prerequisites. “We’re hoping to work with community groups as well, to partner with us.” 

The Wildlife Society is operated as a student-run organization with faculty support, rather than faculty managing. Dan MacNulty, professor and faculty adviser, based it on his own undergraduate experience. 

“The university exists to provide training to students and real-world experiences,” MacNulty said. “The way to do that is to give them opportunities to lead, to develop, to be innovative, to be creative.” 

The leadership, MacNulty said, provides something irreplaceable for students: low-risk opportunities to fail, increasing opportunities to learn.  

“Field skills application is an opportunity to make that knowledge concrete,” he said. “These things give students a low-risk opportunity to fail but in circumstances where the costs aren’t so high.” 

Light pollution doesn’t only affect stargazing, but according to Audubon’s presentation at the informational meeting, 80% of migratory birds travel at night. They use celestial cues for navigation.  

Artificial light disorients these birds, leading to collisions with buildings or exhaustion as they circle light sources until they fall from the sky. Light pollution also disrupts nocturnal predators like owls and bats living in nearby Logan canyons.  

“It’s very much a wildlife survival issue,” MacNulty said. 

According to Audubon’s data, sky brightness has increased an average of 9.6 % per year since 2011. When Starr drove to Smithfield during the recent aurora borealis, she photographed Logan’s light pollution showing a glowing halo.  

“Contrary to popular belief, light doesn’t necessarily mean safety,” Starr said. “Studies show that having additional light doesn’t mean you’re safer.” 

Students interested in the program can email usuwildlife@gmail.com. The Wildlife Society is also seeking partnerships with community organizations. 

Starr said even alumni and non-students living in Logan are welcome to participate. 

“I just can’t imagine a better place to do it, especially in the natural resources field,” MacNulty said.