From left, Michael Hodge, interpretive specialist, Frozen Head State Park; Monique Hodge, park ranger, Pickett State Park; TDEC Deputy Commissioner Brock Hill; Fentress County Executive Michael Cross; Anne Marshall, senior advisor to Deputy Commissioner Hill; Tara Wohlgemuth, regional director for External Affairs, TDEC Cookeville Environmental Field Office; and Alan Wasik, park manager, Pickett State Park celebrate the designation of Pickett State Park and Pogue Creek Canyon State Natural Area as a Silver-Tier International Dark Sky Park on Tuesday at Pogue Creek Canyon Trailhead.
The International Dark Sky Association announced that Pickett State Park and Pogue Creek Canyon State Natural Area have been named a Silver-tier International Dark Sky Park. The combined property will be known as “Pickett-Pogue International Dark Sky Park.”
A kickoff event was held Tuesday with a solar program for local schools. Following was a ceremony with an astronomy program.
“We are pleased to welcome Tennessee into the Dark Sky program,” said International Dark Sky Association Executive Director J. Scott Feierabend. “We hope all Tennesseans will want to visit the park and take in its beautiful night skies.”
Places experiencing natural darkness at night are rapidly vanishing in much of the United States east of the Mississippi River, an area home to much of the country’s population. This fact underscores the need to defend sites with dark night skies for the benefit of wildlife and humans alike. One location at the edge of the Cumberland Plateau in northern Tennessee has done just that, taking steps to preserve the nighttime environment for current and future visitors, said officials.
“As one of the few dark areas left in Tennessee, we believe in preserving the dark sky for future generations and are committed to educating the public about the importance of dark skies,” said Brock Hill, deputy commissioner for Parks and Conservation, Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation. “The park worked hard to preserve and protect the dark sky values and we are excited about the potential for this designation.”
Work has been done over the past to get the park ready by rehabilitating the small amount of lighting on the two properties with the support of a Clean Tennessee Energy Grant. In partnership with the Barnard-Seyfert Astronomical Society and the Space Science Outreach at the University of Tennessee, the Park has developed a strong interpretive program. Activities include an annual New Year’s Eve hike, a Junior Ranger Camp each July, an annual star party, and regular dark skies programming during peak visitor season in the summer.
IDA established the International Dark Sky Places conservation program in 2001 to recognize excellent stewardship of the night sky. Designations are based on outdoor lighting standards and innovative community outreach. Since the program began, 10 communities, 23 parks and nine reserves have received International Dark Sky designations. For more information about the International Dark Sky Places Program, visit http://darksky.org/night-sky-conservation/dark-sky-places.