The momentum in favor of the night continues
The month of July was marked by two advances in the "night" mission led by the Périgord-Limousin Regional Natural Park: the updating of the light pollution map in the area, and the participation of a group of residents in the monitoring of new nocturnal species.
Efforts that bear fruit
The Périgord-Limousin Regional Natural Park has been committed to preserving the quality of nighttime for several years and therefore closely monitors the evolution of nighttime pollution in the region. This is the result of a compilation of data provided by Dark Sky Lab, a new map of light pollution in the sky has just been produced by the Park's teams. It is based on satellite data from the year 2023 and allows, for the first time, a direct comparison with 2019 data.
This cross-reading offers a valuable insight into the evolution of public and private lighting across the territory. Some municipalities engaged in night-time extinction policies or renovation of their lighting systems see their efforts rewarded by a measurable reduction in artificial luminance. (see maps below). Elements that fuel collective reflection on the implementation of a coherent territorial black network*, favorable to nocturnal species.
Nocturnal biodiversity sentinels at work
At the same time, the Star Watchers group, led by the Park, recently completed its campaign to monitor nocturnal birds of prey. This group of residents, who have been responsible for measuring light pollution for several years, has recently expanded its mission to include monitoring nocturnal species. Thanks to a rigorous protocol implemented in the spring, the participants have contributed to improving knowledge of the local distribution of sensitive species such as the tawny owl, the long-eared owl and the barn owl.
After raptors, the summer of 2025 is an opportunity for these volunteers to focus on two new groups of nocturnal animals. This year, the star watchers are participating in the participatory inventory of glow-worms and the monitoring of bats. For the latter, the volunteers are equipped with touchscreen tablets and sound recorders, allowing them to detect and locate these species, which are indicators of the ecological quality of the night.
Observe, measure, act... elected officials and residents alike have a vital role to play in preserving the nocturnal environment. These actions contribute to the Park's biodiversity strategy and contribute to national recognition of the quality of the Périgord-Limousin sky through the Park's application for the "International Dark Sky Reserve" label.
* The dark grid is the network of ecological corridors characterized by a certain darkness and used by nocturnal species.
