Valerie Varnuska of the Westbury, NY area, is a nature enthusiast interested in many scientific disciplines related to nature, such as anthropology, archaeology, geology, paleontology, and astronomy. Valerie Varnuska is fascinated with the stars and regularly stargazes.
The International Dark-Sky Association (IDA), a non-profit dedicated to protecting the night skies through environmentally responsible outdoor lighting, founded the International Dark Sky Places program in 2001 to designate communities, parks, and protected areas worldwide as certified Dark Sky Places.
There are 201 certified dark sky places worldwide as of the beginning of 2023. These places fall under one of the five categories of certification: sanctuaries, parks, reserves, communities, and urban night sky spaces. These places have undergone a rigorous selection process. IDA does not select which places to designate as dark sky places.
Rather, it certifies these places based on written applications. The certification process is as follows:
1. Submission of inquiry letter - After reviewing the guidelines, the applicant submits a letter of inquiry about the site to IDA. IDA sends the staff to assess the site’s eligibility.
2. Payment of pre-application fee and submission of project timeline - After assessment, the applicant pays the pre-application fee of $250. Simultaneously, the applicant submits a proposed timeline for the completion of the project. The Program includes the site in the designation pipeline.
3. IDA and applicant work together - The IDA staff and the applicant work together in gathering the pieces of evidence that will support the designation of the site according to guidelines.
4. Submission of the finished draft - The applicant submits the finished draft of the application. Once the Director of Conservation deems that the site has met the requirements, the application is forwarded to the IDA Dark Sky Places Committee. The Committee makes the final assessment and decision to certify the site as a certified Dark Sky Place.
