Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Did you know there’s an International Dark Sky Park right in our backyard? That would be the 1,561-acre James River State Park (JRSP). Located along the banks of the James River in northern Buckingham County, it was officially given the designation in April 2019 by The International Dark Sky Association, joining 117 other parks in the World with this honor. The two-year application process was begun for a Girl Scout project by 16-year-old, Lora Callahan of Lynchburg. 

So what is a “Dark Sky” park? Let’s explain. In an effort to start night sky awareness at a young age, an award winning “Dark Skies, Bright  Kids” outreach program for elementary school children was founded by UVA Astronomy Professor Dr. Kelsey Johnson. Her book “Constellations for Kids: An easy Guide to Discovering the Stars” is educational for both children and adults.  

Defining the need for dark sky parks

What does this all mean? There are many types of pollution, nighttime light being one of them.  Our natural nighttime darkness is disappearing, making it difficult to observe stars, meteors and  fireballs. Places like JRSP are doing their best to mitigate nighttime light pollution with special  light fixtures, providing dark sky programs and requiring lights-out on exteriors of cabins by 10 p.m. Light pollution also negatively impacts life cycles of birds, including their migratory behaviors, as well as disrupting the sleep/wake patterns of nocturnal animals. 

If you live in rural Central Virginia, and can avoid neighbors’ outdoor lights, you can easily view  the night sky. Just give your eyes 20 minutes to adjust to the dark and you’ll be visually captivated by an amazing adventure with the stars. It’s what the Boomers have done on a number of occasions. 

They suggest to lie on the ground or in a tilt-back chair, look up and soak in the fun of identifying  constellations! It’s best not to rush and give it a minimum 45 minutes. Some of the Boomers  make this a frequent, year-round practice and remain in wonder of their discoveries!  

Who are the Grateful Boomers?

And if you’re wondering who the Grateful Boomers are, they’re a group of friends from Buckingham County, all over the age of 60, who want to enrich their lives through both meaningful friendships and challenging outdoor adventures.

They believe that aging gratefully with a high level of curiosity about everything, will create the best environment to remain mentally and physically active. Collectively, the group’s interests run from biking to hiking, kayaking and photography to reading, knitting, gardening and travel. They hope that by sharing their adventures, the group will inspire others to do the same.

To read about more of the Grateful Boomers’ trips, you can click here or here.

Editor’s note: Katherine Brooks wrote this for the Farmville Herald