Dark-sky advocates from across Massachusetts gathered last September 7th to celebrate the second annual meeting of our Massachusetts IDA chapter — and to learn how we can move forward individually and collectively to combat light pollution. The setting was the Appalachian Mountain Club’s new headquarters at 10 City Square in Charlestown.

Speakers included:
• Ruskin Hartley, IDA Executive Director
• John Judge, Executive Director, Appalachian Mountain Club
• Dr. Chuck Czeisler, Baldino Professor of Sleep Medicine, Harvard Medical School
• Cara Goodman, coordinator of LED streetlights program for Metropolitan Area Planning Commission
• Leo Smith, IDA’s Northeast coordinator

Attendees were especially thrilled to meet Ruskin Hartley, who had traveled from IDA’s headquarters in Tucson, Arizona, to was visiting the East Coast. He  encouraged the attendees to keep up the great advocacy that has been taking place throughout the Commonwealth.

Dr. Chuck Czeisler brought us up to date on the latest research concerning light’s effects on the human circadian cycle. Cara Goodman reported that many communities, especially in Eastern Massachusetts, have installed LED streetlights with IDA-recommended color temperatures of 2700 to 3000 kelvin — and that many are also incorporating controls systems that can reduce fixture output late at night.

Here’s hoping that our third annual meeting will be able to draw such a prestigious set of speakers and even more attendees!