More than two dozen dark-sky devotees from around the state gathered in person and virtually on Saturday, November 19th, for the annual meeting of the International Dark‑sky Association’s MA chapter. Chapter members had been eager to return to an in-person gathering, and chapter president James Lowenthal had long wanted to host it in western Massachusetts, which boasts some of the darkest nighttime skies anywhere in the state.

The meeting venue was Smith College’s MacLeish Field Station, a gorgeous 250-acre wooded and pastureland former farm in the foothills of the Berkshires. This site, which once housed the school’s observatory, offers miles of walking trails, views across the Connecticut River Valley, a ropes course, a campfire circle, an apple orchard, a chestnut grove, and outdoor art. Our meeting was held in the lovely Bechtel Environmental building, one of the first buildings to be certified through the Living Building Challenge.

November 19th’s gathering featured two main speakers:

• Jane Slade, a Massachusetts-based lighting designer and dark-sky evangelist, who described her work as a dark-sky-friendly lighting professional.
• Rémi Boucher from Mont Mégantic Observatory in Québec, who shared share his experiences with controlling light pollution from greenhouses.

The gathering offered plenty of time for updates regarding our chapter’s many efforts, including statewide legislation, a plan to obtain dark-sky-place status for the island of Nantucket, and informal networking. Click here to view a video of the proceedings.

Members also heard reports from the chapter’s officers, and new officers were elected for the coming year:

• President: James Lowenthal
• Vice President: Anne Hayek
• Treasurer: Michael Person
• Secretary: Nancy Morrison
• Communications Officer: Kelly Beatty

After the conclusion of the indoor program, attendees headed outdoors in the deepening twilight to view Jupiter, Saturn, and other celestial treats through telescopes brought by James Lowenthal and Kelly Beatty.