It was a late-night double feature at Sir Winston Churchill Park on Saturday, as visitors had a chance to not only learn more about the dark sky above them, but also the nocturnal animals in the forest around them.
The Lakeland Dark Sky Celebration took place on Saturday, Sept. 14 at Sir Winston Churchill Provincial Park. The activities got underway during the supper hour and continued to 10 pm with demonstrations and exhibits.
A presentation by the Stephanie Sampson, a representative of the Bonnyville-based Lakeland Industry and Community Association (LICA) told a group of attendees about the nocturnal creatures that make their home in Sir Winston Churchill Provincial Park and other parks in the region. She had displays relating to wildcats, bats, and owls. There was even a chance to get further acquainted with the wildlife – for those not too squeamish – by dissecting owl droppings.
With all aspects of the wildlife covered by the time the sun set, the night sky was the next area for visitors to explore. Cloudy conditions, however, kept dark-sky star gazing mainly to an indoor presentation by Alister Ling, a member of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada. Ling’s presentations inside of the campground amphitheatre showed visitors how the night sky would look if they could see it. He also explained features of several planets visible in the night sky over the Lakeland region. And even though it couldn’t see the stars, he also showed people how to use a high-powered Dobsonian telescope.
In addition to these presentations, this year’s celebration also included activities such as crafts, face painting, as well as interactive displays where Alberta Parks interpreters taught people about the night sky and the ways in which nocturnal creatures live.
Jaclyn Denman, a visitor engagement specialist with Alberta Parks, said events like the Lakeland Dark Sky Celebration are an important tool for educating the public.
“These events help people discover and learn about the importance of the night and the dark sky for many creatures that might be migrating in the evening like birds,” she told Lakeland This Week.
One of the special areas
The Lakeland Dark Celebration, Denman continued, has been taking place since 2016 when Lakeland Provincial Park and Recreation Area was added to the other provincially and nationally recognized Dark Sky Preserves. The other preserves are at Beaver Hills (encompassing Miquelon Lake Provincial Park, Cooking Lake-Blackfoot Provincial Recreation Area, and Elk Island National Park), Cypress Hills, the Wood Buffalo region and Jasper.
While Churchill Park isn’t technically part of the Lakeland recreation area, parks officials have found that by hosting the annual dark sky celebration at the popular location just 10 kilometres from Lac La Biche, they are able to have better public engagement with both residents and park visitors who take in the event.