Dark Skies Over Torrey

With this project, Dark Skies Over Torrey, the Entrada Institute can assist the residents of Torrey, Utah in taking the first steps toward becoming Utah’s first dark sky community.

Our community goal is three-fold. First we will replace all of Torrey Town’s city-supported streetlights with fully shielded, dark-sky friendly, LED lights.

Next, where needed, we’ll help Torrey residents replace privately owned lights that are out of compliance with Torrey’s new outdoor lighting ordinance.

Finally, we will launch a three-point education effort, which will provide information to local businesses, residents, and tourists about the multiple benefits of dark sky lighting.

One facet of the education program includes a Dark Sky Information Exhibit at the local visitor center and at the future home of the Entrada Center. This will be named for Linton Rohr, a local dark sky advocate who recently passed away.

Additionally, in cooperation with Entrada and the Wayne County School District, 4^th graders from Loa Elementary School will be mentored by high school students as they create an interpretive wayside guide and signage along a future biking and walking path. The guide will include information about local plants, animals, and the night skies in Wayne County.

• Mid-July to September 24: Fundraising drive!   This is the part where we really need your help.   Talk to your friends, family, peers, and colleagues. Remember the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson, “But every night come out these envoys of beauty, and light the universe with their admonishing smile.” Help us come up with the funding to make this program possible so everyone can enjoy Torrey’s dark skies.
• September 30 and October 1: The annual Heritage Starfest encourages people to enjoy the dark skies of the Colorado Plateau, shares the heritage of night skies, and encourages preservation of dark skies. The Entrada Institute and the National Park Service are proud co-sponsors of the festival. During this year’s event, we will announce the successful results of the Dark Skies Over Torrey fundraising drive!
• November and December: The Entrada Institute will purchase those lights and Garkane Energy will install them.
• 2017: Begin implementing the remainder of our plan – replacing privately owned Torrey lights, educating our communities, and assisting with the bike and walking path interpretive guides and signage.

Torrey, Utah is a remote, small, rural community in the heart of Wayne County. Fewer than 300 permanent residents live here, and fewer than 3,000 people reside full time in the entire county. The large majority of local businesses rely on tourism associated with the surrounding public lands. Torrey is the gateway to Capitol Reef National Park, which has more than one million visitors each year. As a result, Torrey’s economic welfare is closely tethered to Capitol Reef and visitors to the Colorado Plateau.

In April of 2015, Capitol Reef National Park was designated a Gold-tier International Dark Sky Park. Torrey residents and citizens from across Wayne County have expressed a desire to hitch their wagon to the Sky Park star by working toward Dark Sky Community designation. This would make Torrey the only Utah community recognized as such!

As a first step in the process, Torrey Town Council recently passed a new outdoor lighting ordinance.

The second step is to replace the town-supported, high-pressure sodium streetlights with Dark Sky approved, fully-shielded, LED lights. The success of this campaign makes it possible to take this next big step toward becoming Utah’s first Dark Sky Community. The Entrada Institute, Torrey Town, and engaged citizens invite you to join us in bringing darker skies and brighter dreams to Torrey.

Click here to listen to  Entrada Institute board member Mary Bedingfield-Smith interview by  KWAN Radio  about the Dark Skies Over Torrey project.