Truman State is a small liberal arts university in north east Missouri, with a student population of about 3000 students. It is largely a rural setting (Kirksville’s population is about 16,000), but has significant light pollution (SQM readings in town about 18.5 mag/arcsec^2). We have a campus observatory, about 2 miles SW of town (zenith SQM about 20.1 mag/arcsec^2), and a campus planetarium.
The "Dark Sky group" on campus is led by two astronomers but consists of between 5-10 students from various disciplines (Physics, Biology, English, Philosophy, etc.). Some of our work is supported by Missouri Space Grant, and the University itself has provided significant support toward direct support for students, travel, and materials.
Our overall philosophy is to involve the students as much as possible – in outreach activities, research, and activism. School admins are more likely to listen to student voices – student clubs, student leaders andstudent government. Providing solutions and information about vendors with appropriate pricing or quotes is also very useful.
In our experience, pretty much everyone (with the possible exception of the power companies) agrees that we have too many badly designed light fixtures spewing out too much high intensity light in the wrong color (or CCT) in our nighttime environment. The main obstacles to improve outdoor lighting are institutional inertia, a reflexive notion that “more light makes us safe”, and funding. Here, we highlight some of our successes in the order in which we are accomplishing our objectives:
Reduce shorter wavelength outdoor lighting: We started by convincing the administrators to move to lower CCT lights on existing fixtures. This is the least expensive option: whenever an existing light burns out, replace it with a like-for-like, except with a CCT of 3000K or lower. Status: Ongoing since 2020
Pilot Project to demonstrate responsible lighting: We succeeded in obtaining funding for a pilot project to add dark sky friendly retrofits to existing fixtures. Status: Accomplished in 2023 with the student funded "Environmental sustainability fee allocation committee" (ESFAC) funds
Outreach and Curricular Activities: In parallel, we have been educating school administrators and students (see "Educational Materials" in the Resources tab) about the benefits of responsible outdoor lighting: lighting that is of the appropriate lumen levels, lighting fixtures that do not cause glare but are excellent at directing light where it is needed, and lighting that contains lower amounts of blue light, usually ones that have CCT lower than 3000K and appear amber colored. Status: "Freshman Symposium" course on Light Pollution with approximately 100 students initiated in Fall 2021. Dark Sky related labs and projects included in Introductory and Advanced Astronomy courses.
Night walks and Surveys: Once the pilot project was implemented, we have conducted night walks and surveysaround campus around areas with traditional, legacy lights, parking lots, around dorms and other trafficked areas, and areas where retrofit pilot project is implemented. Status: Ongoing, started in 2023
Light Management Plan: We have built a coalition that includes students, faculty, staff, and administrators to articulate and adopt a Light Management Plan (LMP) across campus. In particular, at Truman State, we have a committee comprising two astronomers, a student, the Physical Plant director, campus planner, campus architect, and the advisor to ESFAC that is working towards adopting a LMP for campus wide use. Status: Ongoing, started in 2023. An LMP is expected to be in place by Fall 2025.
Fundraising: We have succeeded in raising funds to implement a broader retrofit program across campus. A "Long term project" funded through ESFAC, is being initiated starting Spring 2025. We have $69,000 towards improving outdoor lighting, with additions of approximately $10,000 each year to continue the project. Presently, we are looking for a "match" from donors and/or Truman State itself. Status: Ongoing, started in Spring 2024. We expect a batch of approximately 70 retrofits to be ordered and installed by Spring 2026.
Even to achieve these modest accomplishments has taken time, and getting people to change their implicit beliefs and habits is a patience testing exercise. There have been too many “one step forward, two steps back” moments to contend with. That's is why it is important to build a coalition of students, faculty, and administrators and convince them and the larger campus community that this is not a “stargazing” or “astronomy” issue. One of the things i always say is that “Not being able to see the stars is not the problem – it is a symptom of the problem. The real problem is the harm caused by bad lighting, and the waste of resources.”
