New Zealand's newest dark sky reserve gets international sign off

Thursday, 19 January 2023

The world’s newest dark sky reserve will ensure Wairarapa’s magnificent starry skies are kept pristine.

After a rigorous five-year process to monitor and limit current and future light pollution, the International Dark Sky Association (IDA) has accredited a region covering South Wairarapa and Carterton districts.

With broad community support, the Wairarapa Dark Sky Association (WDSA) set out to ensure the region’s dark skies would not degrade, a problem facing areas home to 80% of world’s population.

Chairwoman Viv Napier said they were thrilled to be granted kaitiaki (guardianship) status for Wairarapa’s sparkling dark skies by the international body.

“We know there are massive environmental and social benefits from reducing the scatter of light at night, and we want to thank the communities of Martinborough, Featherston, Greytown, and Carterton for their support,” she said.

The new reserve covers an area of 3,665km² of the two districts.

There were plans for the reserve to include Masterton District to the north sometime in the future.

The new Wairarapa reserve was one of just 21 worldwide including the Aoraki Mackenzie Dark Sky Reserve in the South Island.

Restricting light pollution from street lights, state highways and even lighthouses meant territorial authorities, and national agencies such as Waka Kotahi and Maritime New Zealand also had to be on board to make it happen.

As part of the five-year accreditation process, night light-recording TESS meters were installed at various locations throughout the reserve boundaries provided ongoing records of darkness levels.

The meters showed the consistently high quality of Wairarapa’s sky darkness and ensured no new light was spilling into the reserve.

Destination Wairarapa general manager Anna Nielson said dark skies experiences offer year-round appeal to visitors.

“This is a boon for the region which traditionally had seen less tourism activity in winter months.”

South Wairarapa mayor Martin Connolly said the new reserve would add a new dimension to the region.

“The Wairarapa is more than just a wine village, this is international recognition that we have really unique natural feature here,”

“Now the world knows, and the rest of New Zealand knows and the immediate outcome of that is going to be a huge boost to tourism.”

Educator Haritina Mogoșanu was a member of the Wairarapa Dark Skies Reserve committee and ran a space science education business as well as offering stargazing experience through Wairarapa’s most powerful telescopes.

She was excited the new reserve would make Wairarapa a centre for astronomical tourism and education and stressed how important it was to limit light pollution.

“Darkness is not the world of humans, we’re only visitors, so it is normal for us to turn the lights on every time we have the opportunity. But recently we’ve started to realise the impact we have on the environment, on animals, on birds and on our own health.”

She said we could decrease light pollution with a flick of a switch or just closing the curtains.

“Every single one of us can do good by turning the light off when we don’t need it.”

In anticipation of the announcement of the Dark Sky Reserve, Mogoșanu and her partner Sam Leske produced the Look After Our Night Sky exhibition in Carterton.

It is now open in the old Post Office on the corner of Holloway St and free to the public.