International Dark Sky Places Program
Are you interested in having your park or community certified and internationally recognized under the "International Dark-Sky Places" Program?
"International Dark Sky Places" Program
The "International Dark Sky Places" (IDSP) is an award-winning program founded in 2001 to encourage communities, parks and protected areas around the world to preserve and protect dark sites through responsible lighting policies and public education. IDSP offers five types of designations.
- International Dark Sky Communities - Communities are legally organized cities and towns that adopt quality outdoor lighting ordinances and undertake efforts to educate residents about the importance of dark skies.
- International Dark Sky Parks - Parks are publicly- or privately-owned spaces protected for natural conservation that implement good outdoor lighting and provide dark sky programs for visitors.
- International Dark Sky Reserves - Reserves consist of a dark “core” zone surrounded by a populated periphery where policy controls are enacted to protect the darkness of the core.
- International Dark Sky Sanctuaries - Sanctuaries are the most remote (and often darkest) places in the world whose conservation state is most fragile.
- Urban Night Sky Places - UNSPs are sites near or surrounded by large urban environs whose planning and design actively promote an authentic nighttime experience in the midst of significant artificial light at night, and that otherwise do not qualify for designation within any other International Dark Sky Places category.
Applicants must meet minimum qualifications based on the type of certification desired.
Learn More
If your park or community is located in Missouri and wants to learn more about the IDSP program, our chapter can help. Click on the "Learn more" button below to provide information about your request. Once received, we will contact you to learn more about your goals and answer your questions.