DarkSky Texas - Formerly IDA Texas

Jan 8th - Protecting Dark Skies for Plants and all Living Things at Native Plant Society - Williamson County Chapter Meeting
2026-01-08 19:00 - 20:30 (America/New_York)
Cindy’s talk will explore the natural world and the processes that depend on the absence of artificial light. It will include a number of species but will emphasize issues that plants have with artificial lighting. Issues of navigation, reproduction, circadian rhythms, photoperiodism, competition, predation, and general habitat protection will be covered. It will also touch on some issues that humans have with artificial light at night. The talk wraps up with a review of what each of us can do to protect living things during the nighttime.

First Wednesday 7PM: Dark Sky Place Coaching
2026-01-07 19:00 - 20:30, 2025-12-03 00:00 - 23:59
Working on an International Dark Sky Place application? Join us at 7:00PM on the first Wednesday of each month. See full list of events for more info.

11 Nov 2025 7-8:30 PM DarkSky Texas Board Meeting (Open to all Volunteers)
2025-11-11 19:00 - 20:30
Review the Agenda and Join us! The agenda has the link to join the meeting.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1LRnNViIoW6NzD5R1tlhKEyClZRSId-1J/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=105677860306105778141&rtpof=true&sd=true

First Wednesday 7PM: Dark Sky Place Coaching
2025-11-05, 2025-10-01, 2025-09-03, 2025-08-06, 2025-07-02, 2025-06-04
Working on an International Dark Sky Place application? Join us at 7:00PM on the first Wednesday of each month (with the exception of Jan 2025 when the event will be Jan 8th). See full list of events for more info.

Mysteries & Myths - Star Party
2025-10-25 17:30 - 23:11
Join us in celebrating Liberty Hill’s International Dark Sky Community designation with our neighboring communities! Spend an autumn evening exploring the night sky and enjoying family-friendly fun.
Event Highlights

Explore the skies through telescopes with astronomy guides
Grab dinner from local food trucks
Create space-themed crafts with the Liberty Hill Public Library
Hear from The Wizard of the Night Sky
Hunt for the mythical Sasquatch

Bring your lawn chairs and blankets to relax under the stars.
Remember there’s an entry fee. Camping or day-use reservations are required for park entry.
Reserve your site or purchase a day pass HERE:
Saturday, October 25 · 5:30 PM – 11:11 PM
River Ranch County Park @ Interpretive Center
194 Reveille Way
Liberty Hill, TX 78642

Oct 16-19 DarkSky Texas at the Texas Master Naturalist State Meeting
2025-10-16 - 2025-10-19
Statewide gathering of Texas Master Naturalists with DarkSky Texas members presenting programs and staffing an exhibit booth.

DarkSky Texas at Georgetown Astronomy Club
2025-10-02 18:30 - 20:00
Cindy Luongo Cassidy of DarkSky Texas will be the speaker for the Georgetown Astronomy Club meeting.
Are we ignoring half of the conservation work that needs to be done? Cindy will explore the natural world and its processes that depend on the absence of artificial light. Living things need natural darkness for navigation, reproduction, circadian rhythms, photoperiodism, competition, predation, and general habitat protection. We humans need it too. Learn what we can do to extend our conservation work to the nighttime.

Presentation: Dark Skies Over the RGV
2025-09-13 14:00 - 15:00
Did you know most migratory birds fly at night? But city lights can disorient birds, causing them to stray off track. This can lead to collisions with buildings and also imperils their health as they waste precious energy in confusion.
Light pollution is on the rise worldwide, not only affecting the nighttime behaviors of birds and other wildlife, but impacting human health, too, and our ability to see the stars. The good news is that it’s one of the most easily reversible forms of pollution!

Join DarkSky Texas RGV Outreach Coordinator Jennifer Rektorik at Wild Birds Unlimited McAllen for a one-hour talk about the five principles of responsible outdoor lighting and ways we can protect the night skies of the Rio Grande Valley.

Plus, stay after for a native plant sale!

Sept 9 at 7:00 pm Membership Meeting
2025-09-09 19:00 - 20:15
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The General Membership Meeting took place on September 9, 2025, bringing together DarkSky Texas volunteers from across the state. Attendees connected over shared goals, received updates on current initiatives, and explored tools available to support their advocacy work.
You can watch the full meeting replay in the video above (or view it directly on YouTube).

Dark Skies Presentation for Wimberley Birding Society
2025-08-18 10:00 - 11:30
The talk will explore the natural world and the processes that depend on the absence of artificial light. It will emphasize the issues that birds have with artificial lighting. I’ll also include some information on bird-friendly windows. It will cover issues of navigation (& migration), reproduction, circadian rhythms, photoperiodism, competition, predation, and general habitat protection. I’ll also touch on some issues that humans have with artificial light at night too. We’ll review what we can do to extend our protection of birds (and ourselves) to the nighttime.

Dark Skies Presentation for Driftwood Historical Conservation Society
2025-08-12 18:00 - 19:00
Are we ignoring half of the conservation work that needs to be done? Cindy will explore the natural world and its processes that depend on the absence of artificial light. Living things need natural darkness for navigation, reproduction, circadian rhythms, photoperiodism, competition, predation, and general habitat protection. We humans need it too. Learn what we can do to extend our conservation work to the nighttime.

22 July 2025 7-8:30 PM DarkSky Texas Board Meeting (Open to all Volunteers)
2025-07-22 19:00 - 20:30
Review the Agenda and Join us! The agenda has the link to join the meeting.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1MjF1JRDxOfqbuEF13mEwKZLu8CO6Ozr1/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=105677860306105778141&rtpof=true&sd=true

May 13, 2025 – DARKSKY TEXAS BOARD MEETING (OPEN TO All)
2025-05-13 19:00 - 20:30
Sit in on the DarkSky Texas Board of Directors Meeting. It’s open to all of our membership. We especially encourage attendance by representatives of county-wide night sky related groups, astronomy club reps, and others who want to volunteer.
DarkSky Texas Board Meetings
Tuesday, May 13, 2025 · 7:00 – 8:30pm Central Time
Zoom joining info
Video call link: https://zoom.us/j/92016950186

May 4th - Denton Redbud Festival
2025-05-04 11:00 - 17:00
Celebrate Earth Month in the Redbud Capital of Texas!
The award-winning Denton Redbud Festival has been promoting community beautification and Denton pride since 1994. The Redbud Festival features dozens of vendors with tree and plant sales, gardening supplies, household items and local/handmade products, along with family-friendly activities and live, local music.
DarkSky Texas will host a table with an exhibit of better lights for better nights.
Location: Denton Civic Center and Quakertown Park

4/26 Night Sky Celebration (City of Carrollton)
2025-04-26 19:00 - 21:00
Come for an evening under the night sky at Elm Fork Nature Center, sponsored by the City of Carrollton, DarkSky Texas, NASA, and the National Space Society of N. Texas. Discover the wonders of the dark sky, see a life size NASA space exploration suit, see nocturnal creatures that call the nature preserve home, enjoy stargazing, and more exciting activities!
The event also includes an 8pm night hike around the Preserve.

April 25, 2025 – Dark Sky Day at the Texas Capitol
2025-04-25 09:30 - 16:00
On April 25, 2025, supporters gathered at the Texas Capitol for Dark Sky Day at the Capitol.
Representative Troxclair honored DarkSky Texas on the floor of the Texas House, recognizing our efforts to reduce light pollution across the state.
We were proud to be supported by both Senator Blanco and Representative Troxclair, who sponsored resolutions marking this important day.
Watch the video embedded above (or view it directly here) to see Representative Troxclair’s remarks honoring DarkSky Texas.

April 9, 2025 – DarkSky Texas: Night Lights and Bat Flights with Dr. Amanda Adams
2025-04-09 19:00 - 20:00
Watch the “Night Lights and Bat Flights” webinar with Dr. Amanda Adams

This webinar explores how artificial light at night affects bats’ flight, foraging, and survival — and why lighting choices matter for protecting nocturnal wildlife.
Dr. Amanda Adams of Bat Conservation International (BCI) shares insights from two decades of global bat research.

3/28 at 7pm Liberty Hill Star Party
2025-03-28 19:00 - 22:00
Join us in Liberty Hill, Friday March 28th, 7PM telescope set up, crafts for the children sponsored by the library and an educational table will be set up by LH Save Our Stars. Viewing and education starting at 8 until 10 by Austin Astronomical Group.

March 1st 5-8pm Lampasas Stars at Night
2025-03-01 17:00 - 20:00
Gather from 5pm to 8 pm for family friendly activities, information tables, night sky demos, panel discussions, food vendors, and the big event: stargazing with professional telescopes! Learn more at: https://www.visionlampasas.org/friends-of-the-night-sky.html

Jan 28, 2025 - Dark Sky Places: All You Want to Know About Them
2025-01-28 19:00 - 20:00
Want to know more about International Dark Sky Places? What’s the same about each type of place and what’s different? How do I get started or get things moving again if they have stagnated?
Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/97704446878?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 977 0444 6878
Passcode: [REDACTED]

December 12, 2024 – Lighting for Safer Streets with Debbie Moran
2024-12-12 19:00 - 20:00
In most cities, perceptions of safety are the primary driver for lighting policy. Often these perceptions are dead wrong and perpetuated by well-meaning officials who do not understand that LED technology easily creates disabling glare and is unforgiving. We now have not just glare but glare on steroids.

March 6, 2024 – Dark Sky Approved Sports Lighting
2024-03-06 19:00 - 20:00
Missed our event on better options for sports field lighting? No problem! Watch the two videos from the event to catch up on everything you need to know.
In this informative session, Brad Schlesselman from Musco Lighting, who serves as the Chair of the Discomfort Glare in Outdoor Nighttime Environments (DGONE) Committee of the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES), shared insights into neighborhood-friendly outdoor sports lighting and the advancements in lighting technology that make it possible.
Brad is also a member of several other IES Committees and serves as Treasurer on the DarkSky International Board of Directors, contributing his expertise to the DarkSky Finance and Technical Committees.
Watch the videos below to see how the DarkSky Approved Outdoor Sports Lighting Program sets the standard for minimizing glare and light pollution while enhancing athletic field visibility.
Watch the videos here:

Dark Sky Compliance in Sports Lighting Solutions
Eco-Friendly Solutions for Outdoor Sports Lighting

Don’t forget to share this information with your local sports lighting decision-makers! It’s never too late to explore better options for your community’s sports fields.

October 26, 2021 – Kick Start Public Outreach in Your Community!
2021-10-26 18:30 - 20:00
Missed our meeting? Don’t worry—you can now watch the full session on YouTube!
In this insightful meeting, Art Schneider, IDA Texas North Texas Regional Manager, and Amy Jackson, Central Texas Regional Manager, guided participants through the process of spreading awareness about protecting our night skies. Whether you’re looking to engage your local community or give presentations to clubs like Rotary, astronomy groups, or schools, this session provides everything you need to know to get started.
You’ll learn:

How to prepare and deliver effective presentations for various community groups
How to connect with local schools and educators
How to use IDA Texas resources, including videos, PowerPoints, and hands-on activities
Creative demonstration ideas, such as using color grating and mapping the night sky

Watch the full video here: Kick Start Your Dark Sky Advocacy Work
Even if you missed the live session, you can still get involved in advocating for dark skies in your community. Watch the video and share it with others who care about keeping our night skies pristine.
