HARRISBURG, Pa. — The second year of Lights Out Harrisburg is underway! The event is an annual effort to help reduce the decline in bird populations nationwide.
From now until May 31, residents and business owners across southcentral Pennsylvania are being asked to turn off unnecessary indoor and outdoor lighting from midnight until 6 a.m. to help cut down on the drastic decline in bird populations.
It's imperative to do these initiatives during peak migration, which occur in the spring between April 1 and May 31, and fall between Aug. 15 and Nov. 15.
“Up to 1 billion birds die in North America from running into buildings. It's a massive problem. We are trying to do everything we can to help birds, especially during migration,” said Ali Bowling, president of the Appalachian Audubon Society.
Light pollution is a big danger for the birds, alongside other environmental impacts.
“Light pollution often causes confusion to birds because birds use the constellations to migrate. So, when there is mass light pollution it will block those constellations and it’ll bring them closer into urban environments,” said Bowling.
Urban or city environments are more hazardous due to the fact that there are more buildings and windows for birds to run into.
Through Light's Out Harrisburg, the Appalachian Audubon Society hopes to stop the decrease in bird species, not only locally but nationally as well, where more and more Light's Out initiatives are popping up.
“This is a key initiative because of the decline in birds just to help them migrate through our area. You know they are our neighbors, right? So we want to help them in any way that we can. Turning out any unnecessary lighting is just one thing we can do that is a pretty easy lift,” said Bowling.
For more information about the initiative and to learn more about creating a more bird-friendly home, click here to keep up on Facebook and check out the Appalachian Audubon Society website.
To reach out and create a Light's Out initiative in your neighborhood send an email to Appalachian@appalachianaudubon.org.