This park is now just the third dark sky reserve in Canada

Ever wanted to get a good look at the night sky, but the city lights just made it impossible?

A local park has just secured national recognition as a prime place for stargazing.

After years of effort from the Regional District of Central Okanagan’s (RDCO) Parks services, the more than 400-hectare Johns Family Nature Conservancy Regional Park - in South Kelowna off Chute Lake Road just outside the City of Kelowna boundary - has been proclaimed a Nocturnal Preserve by the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada (RASC).

It joins Old Man on His Back Prairie and Heritage Conservation Area (Saskatchewan) and Ann and Sandy Cross Conservation Area (Foothills, Alberta) as one of three recognized Nocturnal Preserves in all of Canada.

“There aren't a lot of areas in the Central Okanagan that are truly dark,” RDCO’s Community Relations Supervisor Isabella Hodson told Kelowna10. “And so having a Nocturnal Preserve, not only is it quite prestigious for the Central Okanagan, and it can be a tourism draw, but it's also a symbol of our dedication towards conservation.”

The RASC defines a Nocturnal Preserve as an area in which artificial lighting is very limited and strictly controlled, and efforts to engage municipalities in the reduction of light pollution are ongoing.

The primary focus is to protect the nocturnal environment of local wildlife, as well as to deliver public education programs about the night sky, nocturnal environment, and light pollution abatement.

In Fall 2019, the Regional Board approved a recommendation to seek the Dark-Sky Site designation for the regional park, located along the south slopes outside the City of Kelowna boundary.

“It’s about three and a half years in the making, and since then we’ve been taking the steps needed to get this designation,” Hodson said. “Also, of course working with our board to make sure they understand what it means to have a Nocturnal Preserve and the commitment that we're making not just today but going forward in our responsible lighting practices.”

The Regional Parks Visitor Services program anticipates providing special night viewing sky programs and interpretive site information in the park, supported by volunteers from the Royal Astronomical Society Okanagan Centre branch and Indigenous knowledge keepers.

“We have 30 regional parks and through those parks which, you know, are so important to protect, right in our growing municipalities, but each one represents a different ecosystem or a different area,” she explained. “So having this designation is just one additional layer of protection for all of the hundreds of species that live in this park.”