7 minute read
Maraetai Beach School shines light on little-known pollution problem
What type of pollution impacts our health, the environment, wildlife, cultural practices, and even our ability to see the stars? The answer: light pollution – and a group of students from Maraetai Beach School is working to understand and address it.
On the Pōhutukawa Coast, a 45-minute drive east of Tāmaki Makaurau | Auckland, sits coastal town Maraetai. Away from the bright lights of New Zealand’s biggest city, the town offers clear views of the night sky.
As part of a project supported with funding from Curious Minds Participatory Science Platform and facilitated by Te Hononga Akoranga COMET, Maraetai Beach School ākonga have been exploring their night sky in depth – paying particular attention to light pollution and how levels impact on our environment and health, and on astronomy.
Light pollution, which refers to excess or misdirected artificial light that interferes with natural darkness, has a wide range of impacts. These include disrupting health and sleep, interfering with the ability of wildlife to hunt, navigate and reproduce, and obscuring the sky – a barrier for astronomical research and for cultures who use the stars for navigation, storytelling and spiritual practices.
Guided by kaiako Jane Suckling, a group of Year 7 and 8 ākonga embarked on a nine-month project investigating the impact of light pollution on their local environment and learning how to take meaningful action.
Igniting curiosity
The project’s inception came from local scientist and avid stargazer Jordi Blasco, who also founded astrophotography organisation Skylabs. Jordi visited the school, introducing students to the concept of excessive artificial lighting and its potential effects on the night sky.
With the students’ curiosity ignited, Jane says they knew they wanted to collect real data from the Pōhutakawa Coast area and get a better understanding of whether light pollution is an issue locally – not to mention raise awareness about what it is and its effects on both environment and public health.
“One of the first steps in students’ research was a survey,” says Jane. “These were completed by over 170 community members to gauge the level of understanding about light pollution in the area and people’s perception of light pollution impacts.”
“What we really found interesting was the amount of people around the Pōhutukawa Coast who said they were affected by light pollution,” says Year 7 student Lucas. “They knew what it was and thought it was important to reduce it.
“Sixty percent said they were affected by it, and 50 percent thought it was very important to reduce it. Surprisingly, one person thought it wasn’t important at all.”
In addition to the survey, Jordi supported students to host a series of community stargazing events, designed to show the public the beauty of the night sky and the impact of artificial lighting. The events helped connect the community to the issue and sparked conversations about how local lighting choices can minimise light pollution.
Jane says partnering with an external expert such as Jordi has been a gamechanger for the school.
“We were able to access tools and expertise that helped bring the project to life. Jordi worked closely with the students throughout this project, and his support and expertise were invaluable.”
Gathering data
Using a range of research methodologies, ākonga collected a broad suite of information.
“They recorded visual observations of the night sky, documenting environmental conditions and the visibility of common constellations,” explains Jane.
“Students and parents learned to use telescopes and embarked on many stargazing sessions as part of the project. Along the way, they also learned how astronomical observations (and scientific research) can often be hindered by bad weather.”
Ākonga also used ‘sky quality metre’ readings to conduct field observations around the coast, measuring the amount of light pollution in various locations – a technology allowing them to gather accurate data on the brightness of the night sky in different areas.
“The sky quality metre scans the sky and tells us how clear the sky is,” says Year 7 ākonga Harrison. “So each night we scanned the sky and put it on a sheet.
“It turns out that the best place for spotting stars was east Maraetai!”
“We also installed All-Sky cameras at various locations,” adds Jane, explaining that All-Sky cameras are devices that take pictures of the entire sky over a period of time to monitor astronomical phenomena including light pollution.
“We used these to record the night sky over a 24-hour period, using time-lapse and long exposure photography.”
“Using the sky cameras, we did a lot of stargazing with Jordi,” adds Harrison. “The first one was installed at the Auckland Botanical Gardens – we looked at Matariki! Then we moved onto more local areas such as the beach.
“Stargazing around the community was really fun. It was so interesting to see the stars, moon and planets up close through our telescope.”
“Analysing how light and darkness changed over time revealed some surprising insights,” says Jane. “For example, students discovered consistently high levels of light pollution in some urban places due to commercial areas and sports fields leaving their lights on all night.”
Putting their research to good use, ākonga then used 3D printers to design and prototype custom enclosures for the AllSky cameras to protect the sensitive camera equipment and ensure their long-term durability in the outdoor environment.
“The process of designing these enclosures was a highlight for students,” says Jane. “They gained experience in design thinking, engineering, technology and materials science.”
Sharing findings
Keen to keep the momentum going, ākonga identified solutions for reducing light pollution to share with their community – and wider.
“They’ve identified small actions that anyone can do at home and are also lobbying commercial landowners to change their lighting systems,” says Jane proudly. “They are so committed to sharing their findings and raising awareness.”
Students’ recommendations include:
Installing shielded lighting: encourage the use of shielded fixtures that direct light downward, reducing glare and light spill into the sky
Using motion sensors and timers: implement motion sensors and timers for outdoor lighting to ensure lights are only on when necessary
Opting for warmer light bulbs: use bulbs with warmer colour temperatures to minimise blue light emissions, which are more disruptive to humans and wildlife
Promote community awareness: educate community members about the impacts of light pollution and ways to reduce it, and encourage everyone to participate in making changes.
But the learning hasn’t stopped there.
“This is just the beginning,” says Jane, adding that an All-Sky camera and weather station have been installed at the school.
“Our teachers are planning to continue monitoring light pollution in the future and build this into their science programmes.”
The student research group recently presented their research at Auckland University of Technology’s Curious Minds Conference, alongside other schools.
“Presenting our data and findings at the conference was a very fun experience for everyone,” says Lucas. “We’re all proud of ourselves!”
They have also written a conference paper, ‘Assessing the impact of light pollution on urban environments: A case study in the Pōhutakawa Coast’.
“It really highlights not just their leadership in environmental science but the power of projectbased learning in addressing local issues,” says Jane of the project’s many successes. “It’s a prime example of how young people, when given the tools and support, can lead in environmental research and advocacy.”
She says it’s also been amazing to watch students make connections between light pollution and learning areas outside science, technology and maths, and has noticed “huge personal growth in the students, too”.
“They’ve increased in confidence and resilience and have a newfound passion for advocacy and environmental issues. It’s inspiring to see these young minds actively engaging in making a positive impact on their environment!”
