The Brecon Beacons National Park International Dark Sky Reserve. Update Report 2014

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2 The Brecon Beacons National Park International Dark Sky Reserve Update Report 2014 Following on from our much valued designation in 2013, we are pleased to report that a year on the Brecon Beacons National Park International Dark Sky Reserve is going from strength to strength! As this update aims to demonstrate, not only has the reserve captured the hearts and enthusiasm of the astronomical community, but also the local community and the millions of visitors who come to the area each year. Our designation has also led to many other destinations in Wales working towards gaining additional protection for their night skies which we are delighted by and we are enthusiastically working with them to make our country one of the most Dark Sky friendly nations in the world. Our report contains updates on the following areas: Public Engagement Work to promote importance and protection of Dark Skies Collaboration Lighting Improvements Press and Publicity We are, as always, grateful for the IDA s support and would be happy to answer any additional questions that you have. All best wishes, Ruth Coulthard Brecon Beacons National Park Authority Jim Wilson Brecon Beacons Park Society

3 Public Engagement We have 33,000 residents in the National Park and just over 3 million visitors to the area each year. Of this, we have had over 1000 directly involved in stargazing activities. These activities have included 30 events ran by the Brecon Beacons National Park Authority, 5 further events run in collaboration with local communities and wider festivals and 15 stargazing specific events run by local communities. Our local communities have fully embraced the new status and we have had our first Dark Skies Festival in the famous town of Hay of Wye, home to the UK s largest book festival which attracts high profile visitors including former US presidents, UK politicians and leading novelists. In addition stargazing was a key fringe event at this year s Brecon Jazz Festival, again one of the largest of its kind in the UK. We continue to run our education programme which works with local schools to raise understanding of the various negative effects of light pollution and encourage people to make their communities more dark sky friendly. A growing number of stargazers continue to approach the National Park due to its status with a number of large starcamps now finding their home in our reserve. This year, in particular, we worked with a local astronomical society to host an afternoon and evening of stargazing activities for 60 visitors from the Netherlands. The reserve is also attracting a large number of photographers who travel here to practice their dark sky photography. A growing selection, such as this beautiful photograph below, are regularly sent into, and displayed on, our facebook page breconbeaconsnationalpark

4 We are developing a guide for communities to develop successful stargazing events which will hope will encourage more high quality and engaging activities to take place. We are very excited too that our new observatory is now in place at one of our key reserve locations. The Skywatcher Explorer 3000PDS and associated accessories will allow a wide range of formal education groups and adult stargazers to enjoy stunning images of the dark skies at the heart of our reserve. Below is a photograph of the observatory with the iconic central Brecon Beacons Mountains in the background. This is one of the first images taken from the new telescope. The telescope s camera is attached to an Ethernet feed so will be able to transfer images back to the park s visitor centre and to the Dark Sky Reserve website. This will be launched on 7 th October by a Welsh Government Minister and in a reception attended by all board members of the three National Parks in Wales.

5 In addition, we are installing an all sky fish eye camera in December which will act as a permanent webcam and in 2014 and 2015 we will be developing a new Dark Sky Reserve guide, events leaflet plus dedicated website to promote events and astronomical opportunities over the coming year. Work to promote importance of Dark Skies We have been very keen to support others and encourage where possible, other destinations to seek an additional layer of protection for their Dark Skies. Our reserve board members have been very active in speaking to other regions and have already assisted the Peak District, Snowdonia, Anglesea, Elan Valley, New Forest, South Downs and Cranborne Chase with their initial feasibility studies to gain International Dark Sky status. Further to this we have been assisting communities in Carmarthenshire and Powys who wish to gain additional protection with the addition of two new Dark Sky Discovery Sites - To develop this work further, we have just submitted a bid for a 65,000 to help develop Dark Sky tourism and public engagement in the South West of Wales. The map to the left illustrates the regions we have been working in. To help promote dark skies on a national stage and also influence Welsh Government policy, the Dark Sky Reserve Board held a debate in the Senedd (the seat of the Welsh Government) in Spring This was attended by Welsh Government members and following this a motion was carried in the Assembly itself giving its recognition for the Brecon Beacons International Dark Sky Reserve and a commitment to try to ensure Wales becomes a Dark Sky Friendly nation. We are pleased to confirm the chair of our Reserve Board is a Member of the Welsh Government Parliament and a member of the influential Environment and Sustainability Committee. Collaboration We continue to develop stronger partnership and links with others. In particular these have included: University of South Wales: Our observatory director and scientific advisor, Martin Griffiths, is a senior lecturer at the University. He has personally donated over 40 days of his time to the Dark Sky reserve, helping run events, giving public lectures, running our tourism ambassador course programme and providing scientific advice.

6 He donated the telescope for the observatory, worth over 2,000 and will be developing the observatory s educational programme for 2014/15. Local Astronomical societies: We continue to develop our relationship with the five local astronomical societies operating in the region. They now regularly use the Dark Sky Reserve as an observing base and run activities in conjunction with the National Park Authority and local communities. Together they have donated over 60 man hours of volunteer support to the Dark Sky Reserve. Wildlife Trusts and Environmental Charities: We have been working with the wildlife and environmental bodies to develop joint education programming and advice on dark sky friendly initiatives. We aim to have representation from this sector on the Reserve Board. Educational Institutions: We have in the past year formed links with the local technical college whose students have been responsible for building the concrete base and base for electrical wiring to the new observatory. Tourism Businesses: We now have over 50 businesses in the Dark Sky Reserve trained as specific Dark Sky Reserve ambassadors. Each business has undertaken a 2 day course to learn about the importance of dark skies, effect of light pollution, how to engage their visitors and why the Brecon Beacons has gained the Dark Sky Reserve status. They are now able to pass this information on, along with information about the IDA, to their guests. We have a further two courses planned in which we hope to recruit an additional 30 ambassadors. To continue their learning we also organise a series of learning events each year where ambassadors, and their guests, can enjoy an evening of stargazing. The most recent event involved tuition on using telescopes. This course has led to an increase in tourism businesses developing their own specific facilities for stargazing visitors giving us the confidence to market the area as a Dark Sky friendly destination. Lighting Improvements In 2014, the Brecon Beacons National Park Authority adopted its Local Development Plan which is the overarching policy guidance for development in the National Park and Dark Sky Reserve. The importance of preserving the night sky is one of the key principles in this document. The Authority is also finalising the specific planning guidance, based on our lighting management plan, which will form part of this policy. In June 2014, the Dark Sky Reserve hosted a training course for planning and development control officers, both those who cover the Brecon Beacons Dark Sky Reserve and also those who are applying for IDA accreditation. In all over 10 planners attended the one day session which gave technical insight into ensuring future developments are dark sky friendly and enhancing current applications. In the Brecon area and Powys County, which covers the largest proportion of the land in the Dark Sky Reserve, the local Authority has progressed well with converting the majority of its street lights to LED and they are currently working with the Trunk Roads Agency to convert their main road lanterns this year. This would have the effect of reducing street lighting by 50% which would mean a transition on the Bortle scale from Rural/Urban transition (4) to Rural sky (3) and possibly bordering on Bortle scale (2) which is a truly dark sky one of few worldwide.

7 In Monmouthshire County council area, particularly along the Eastern boundary of the Dark Sky Reserve, street lighting has been turned off between midnight and 6am and is dimmed by 50% from 8pm resulting in a much greater quality of night sky in this semi-urban setting. The reserve has also advised two major planning developments in the past year the creation of a dual carriageway through the National Park which will become one of the UK s largest road building schemes in 2017 and also the development of a 120m motoracing circuit on the southern fringe of the National Park. Both developments have sought advice from our lighting management plan when designing their schemes. Finally, the National Park Authority has been working with tourism businesses and the Carbon Trust to encourage greater use of dark sky friendly lighting and the Dark Sky Reserve is to publish a guide on this subject in the near future. Press and publicity In addition to the high profile presence of our reserve at festivals and also the presence on our facebook page, we continue to attract much high profile press and publicity. The press release (shown at the end of this document) was picked up by several newspapers and we have had a full page article in the one of the National Newspapers encouraging visitors to visit the Dark Sky Reserve this year. Our official dark sky video has now had 40,000 hits and to date our centres and tourism businesses have received in excess of 700 requests from individuals and groups wanting to take part in stargazing activities in the reserve. In September 2014, Newport which is just 10 miles from the southern border of the Dark Sky Reserve, played host to the NATO summit which attracted over 40 world leaders and many thousands of delegates. We were very proud that the Dark Sky Reserve was featured by the Welsh Government as one of the area s leading designations and large scale hoardings showcasing the Reserve and its night sky were featured at the capital s and regional railway station to greet visiting delegates. In June the Dark Sky Reserve once again featured in the National UK news when local gardening gurus, Harry and David Rich, entered the highly prestigious Royal Horticultural Society s Chelsea Flower Show, with a design inspired by the Brecon Beacons Dark Sky Reserve. For this they won a Silver Gilt Award. On the following page are photographs of the garden and a photograph of HRH Prince Harry being introduced to the garden by the designers.

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9 PRESS RELEASE - For release 19th February 2014 Wales first International Dark Sky Reserve celebrates its first anniversary Celebrations are taking place across the Brecon Beacons National Park this month to mark the one year anniversary of being Wales first International Dark Sky Reserve. Exactly one year ago today, 19th February 2013, the Brecon Beacons National Park was officially designated the fifth International Dark Sky Reserve in the world making it the first in Wales. The campaign was led by the Brecon Beacons Park Society and the National Park Authority, which resulted in the National Park becoming the first International Dark Skies Reserve in Wales and only the fifth in the world. Since that time, Dark Sky training courses have been offered to local businesses to help them benefit from this aspect of the National Park, and of the more than one hundred businesses taking part in the training to become Ambassadors over 20 have gone on to specialise and gain Dark Sky Ambassador status. And even though the Reserve is only one year old economic benefits are already being seen. The residents of the Park have shown their enthusiasm for and commitment to the Dark Sky Reserve introducing community and business led events and festivals across the Park. To help us celebrate our anniversary and to improve our knowledge about the darkness of our sky please take part in Astronomy week and Star Count This campaign helps monitor the extent of light pollution and similar in principle to a birdwatch, you simply look up at the sky and count the starts you can see in the constellation of Orion with the naked eye any clear night between 26th February to Saturday 8th March. Top tips to find Orion - it s best to do this after 7pm and look towards the south. As you probably know the three bright stars close together in a straight line is the Hunter s Belt, the two bright stars to the north are his shoulders and the two to the south are his feet don t count the four corner stars only those you can see within them. Count of the number of stars you can see with the naked eye (it is important you do not use telescopes or binoculars) and enter the results online at Once the survey is complete, a Star Count Map will be produced for the UK which will help us, and others, get a better idea of light pollution across the country. Ruth Coulthard, Funding Development Officer for Brecon Beacons National Park Authority and one of the lead officer behind the original IDSR submission said: As part of our designation is a commitment that we will work to reduce light pollution, so collecting this data will be a big help. For the last year we having been working very hard with our residents and tourism businesses and this has paid off in dividends. Almost everyone I have dealt with has seen an increase in visitors seeking dark sky experiences and some businesses have specially developed facilities for their guests to enjoy the night sky with observatories and purchasing telescopes for customers to use. We have a record number of dark sky events being organised and sold out and three communities (Talybont and Crai, Hay on Wye and Llangors) have event organised their own mini festivals. Astronomers are working with children across the park, in guides, cubs, scouts, to learn more about the night sky and negative impacts of light pollution and we ve had national and international interest from journalists. But the best news is that other landscapes in the UK have been inspired to develop status for their own area Northumberland was awarded the status last month, Elan Valley Trust have submitted their application and we ve had visits from Snowdonia and the Peak District plus enquiries from South Downs and New Forest. We are event hosting a debate at the Senedd in Cardiff to look at the benefits the designation has brought and what we can do to raise awareness of issues related to light pollution and reduce it across Wales. This has been a fantastic achievement for Wales and we hope to celebrate for many more years to come. Jim Wilson, Chairman of Brecon Beacons Park Society and initiator of the IDSR project said: The collaboration with businesses and the public during the project to gain IDSR status was key to our success. It is great to see this enthusiasm continuing and benefits from our dark skies being realised. Work is underway to establish an astronomical observatory at the Mountain Centre to give Park residents and visitors alike even better opportunities to enjoy our dark skies. Mrs Margaret Underwood, Member Champion for Biodiversity for Brecon Beacons National Park Authority said: Being able to see the stars is a wonderful experience, darkness has a quality which we are seldom able to appreciate in today s world of electricity. It is also very important for our wildlife. For some species darkness brings a time to rest and sleep, for others a time to feed and hunt but all depend to a greater or lesser degree on a period of true darkness. So while the Dark Skies designation brings benefits for us, it also brings great benefits for the biodiversity. This designation is a real achievement of which we can be justly proud. -ENDS-

10 Up to date contact details Main contact details for the Brecon Beacons National Park International Dark Sky Reserve are as follows: Ruth Coulthard Brecon Beacons National Park Authority Plas y Ffynnon Cambrian Way Brecon LD3 7HP Ruth.coulthard@beacons-npa.gov.uk Jim Wilson Brecon Beacons Park Society Ty Ffram Coed Penmaes Barns Llanfilo, Brecon LD3 0RE jimwilson60@btinternet.com