In Mason, the students of the Pioneers Youth Leadership program have taken on Dark Sky Preservation as a focus for sharpening their leadership skills in their community. Working with their teacher Megan Bierschwale, Hill Country Alliance (HCA) Night Sky Program Manager Cliff Kaplan, and HCA Night Sky volunteer and Texas Master Naturalist Bridget Langdale, these students will write newspaper articles, give public presentations, host public star parties, improve the outdoor lighting at their school, and help business owners similarly improve their outdoor lighting. These activities will help preserve the starry skies over Mason for the next generation.
“It’s very exciting to work with these talented, dedicated students,” said Cliff Kaplan of HCA. “They really are ‘pioneers’—the first group of high school students to work on Dark Sky Preservation in an organized way in the Hill Country. I look forward to seeing what they accomplish in Mason and to seeing how their efforts inspire student groups in other Hill Country communities to get involved.”
“It’s so important that we give our young people opportunities to lead,” added Bridget Langdale. “These students and their classmates will be at the helm of our community before we know it. It will be great for all of us if they have some real-world experience working with their community to achieve something tangible like Dark Sky Preservation.” Read more from hillcountrypassport.com
Pioneers Taking on “Dark Sky” Project
