Florida city is first in the state to become certified International Dark Sky Community
An aerial view from a drone shows a long line of cars as frontline health care workers and seniors 65 and older wait for hours to receive the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at a first come first serve drive-thru vaccination site operated by the Lake County
GROVELAND, Fla. - A city in Florida has joined 200 other cities as a certified International Dark Sky Community — making it the first in the state to earn the certification.
Groveland, a city 30 miles west of Orlando, has joined the dark sky community in its effort to protect the night sky by passing an ordinance that requires all city-owned lights to be retrofitted with dark-sky-friendly fixtures by 2027.
In order to earn this certification, Groveland city officials had to engage with residents, business owners, and community stakeholders to raise awareness about the benefits of protecting the night sky.
The city used educational outreach such as virtual workshops, tabling at events, developing a citizen-scientist program to monitor light pollution, and hosting the city's first Star Party attended by over 700 guests.
Signage will be distributed throughout the city with the new DarkSky branding to inform residents and visitors that Groveland is a Dark Sky Community.
For now, a plan is being developed and funds are being budgeted to reconstruct city-owned lightning.