SEASON 5 // EPISODE 1: THE 100th DARK SKY PARK
Why preserve dark skies at Mesa Verde?
Mesa Verde National Park serves to protect the history of the Ancestral Pueblo people and others who lived in the region. So what do dark skies have to do with that?
The short answer: everything.
“Mesa Verde is a unique park in that we are preserving an ancestral landscape... you can go to Spruce Tree House and look up at the night sky, and it can be basically the same sky that the Pueblo people were seeing, the same stars and planets and Milky Way. ”
In season 5, we’re digging into how Mesa Verde National Park became an International Dark Sky Park, and why this designation preserves much more than the natural beauty of Earth's dark night skies.
We’ll hear from Ranger Spencer Burke, Park Ranger and Visual Information Specialist at Mesa Verde National Park; and Bettymaya Foott, Director of Engagement for the International Dark Sky Association (IDA). Spencer and Bettymaya walk us through the process to become and International Dark Sky, how Mesa Verde National Park achieved this, and why this work is critical to preserving the cultural continuity of the ancestral people who lived in the Mesa Verde region.
We’ll also hear a short teaser for upcoming episodes this season from Ravis Henry (Navajo/Dine), Octavius Seowtewa (Zuni), and Curtis Quam (Zuni).
Looking for more?
Well, you’ve come to the right place.
Stargazing at Mesa Verde National Park
Check out stargazing opportunities in the 100th International Dark Sky Park! Visit Mesa Verde’s park website for information on where to go and how to properly plan for this out-of-this-world experience.
NOTE: Most trails, the backcountry, and all ancestral sites are closed to the public after sunset. Please reference the park website for areas that are open to the public for stargazing, and please visit with respect.
the milky way over morefield campground, mesa verde np // NPS photo / Jacob w frank
the Milky way over a mesa at the entrance to mesa verde np // NPS PHOTO / JACOB W FRANK
INTERNATIONAL DARK SKY ASSOCIATION
Visit the IDA’s website to learn more about what you can do to combat light pollution in your community, stay up to date on all of the International Dark Sky Places, and receive updates on all of the events that IDA holds throughout the year.
Four Corners Lecture Series presents Star Stories: Mesa Verde’s Dark Skies with Spencer Burke
Check out Spencer Burke’s Four Corners Lecture Series talk about the International Dark Sky Park designation process.
CBS Morning News Feature
Nancy Chen visited Mesa Verde National Park in 2021 to learn about the International Dark Sky Park designation, and toured ancestral sites like Cliff Palace with TJ Atsye (Laguna).
UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITES
In 1978, Mesa Verde National Park was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, one of the first in the United States. It has since been joined by such special places as Machu Picchu, the Pyramids at Giza, Stonehenge, and the Taj Mahal.
Cliff Palace // nps photo
