Dark sky initiative gaining momentum
By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter
Plans to protect Oxford’s night sky are gaining momentum.
The Oxford Area School Observatory has met with local stakeholders and now plans to submit an application for dark sky park status with the International Dark-Sky Association.
The ultimate goal was to become a dark sky reserve, volunteer Raul Elias-Drago said.
He said gaining dark sky park status for the 11,350-hectare Oxford Forest Conservation Area was a good first step.
"There’s no power, no light fittings, so it is very easy to gain accreditation and the Department of Conservation is supportive.
"We can use that to generate momentum and then continue the conversation with the council and local businesses, generate some funds and come back to addressing the lighting in the township."
A dark sky reserve would include the conservation area as the core and the township as the periphery.
Oxford-Ohoka Community Board chairperson Thomas Robson said the board was supportive of the project.
"It is something that has been talked about for a while and there has always been a desire to do it and hopefully it will bring people to the town.
"The observatory is such a great facility and the more well-known it becomes, the more volunteers and support it will generate."
Robson said there would be some challenges in getting a dark sky reserve application together, but he believed the initiative would have broad community support.
"The majority of us moved to Oxford to enjoy the rural lifestyle and part of that is the night sky.
"In the long term it will be a good thing for the community and it is nice to have proposals like this coming to the board which are good news stories."
Elias-Drago gave a presentation to the community board last week before meeting with stakeholders in the Oxford Town Hall.
Stakeholders included local businesses, sports clubs, schools, Oxford Gallery, the Oxford A&P Association, the Department of Conservation, Waimakariri District Council staff and Enterprise North Canterbury (ENC).
"It was a full house and we also had members of the Royal Astronomical Society of New Zealand and the International Dark-Sky Association zoom in, in support."
Elias-Drago said there were questions around lighting.
He said good lighting policies could reduce light pollution, improve melatonin levels in humans and improve animal welfare.
"It is not about living in the dark. I want people to have a better life. It is about better living through better lighting."
A study commissioned by ENC suggested a dark sky reserve could generate $5.4 million in additional spending in the town and create up to 24 jobs.
Here's Thursday's thinker!
I am lighter than air, but a hundred people cannot lift me. What am I?
Do you think you know the answer to our daily riddle? Don't spoil it for your neighbours! Simply 'Like' this post and we'll post the answer in the comments below at 2pm.
Want to stop seeing riddles in your newsfeed?
Head here and hover on the Following button on the top right of the page (and it will show Unfollow) and then click it. If it is giving you the option to Follow, then you've successfully unfollowed the Riddles page.
Poll: Should drivers retake the theory test every 10 years?
Drivers get where they need to go, but sometimes it seems that we are all abiding by different road rules (for example, the varying ways drivers indicate around a roundabout).
Do you think drivers should be required to take a quick driving theory test every 10 years?
Vote in the poll and share any road rules that you've seen bent! 😱
-
48.4% Yes
-
49.7% No
-
1.9% Other - I'll share below
Hero
“I was born and raised in war. To be honest, those are not good memories.
I really like Iran, and I really miss it, but I couldn’t be myself there. Even though my family didn’t like my decision, I left Iran. I promised myself that I would do whatever I can for all communities, especially for the kids, so they do not have the same experience I had.
I studied software engineering in Iran and left in 2006. I went to Malaysia and stayed in Kuala Lumpur for seven years. I was admitted to Lincoln University to do my PhD here, but unfortunately, I couldn’t afford the expenses. I requested a scholarship, but they told me I had to be there for six months first. So, I stayed in Malaysia and did my PhD in network security. In December 2013, I came to New Zealand with a work visa.
It took me a while to connect with the Iranian community here. I volunteered with the Multicultural Council, SPCA, and community patrol, and I established the Christchurch Iranian Society in 2017. Before that, I started working on Radio Toranj, the only Farsi-language radio show in New Zealand.
One of the reasons I started organizing cultural events was to showcase Iranian culture. I wanted to show people that we have delicious food, colorful dresses, traditional customs, and our own instruments. My hope was to show people that we are not what you see in the media.
I am working to involve all the communities that celebrate Nowruz, the Persian New Year, in the Nowruz festival in March 2025. We want to share this celebration not only with our community but with the public as well. It’s better when it’s shared.
I remember the first time someone from Dunedin called me and asked, Hero, can you help? Something happened, and they keep declining Iranian visa applications. When I heard that, I felt insulted. We are still human, so how can they do that?
Through this journey, I’ve learned a lot. Every single day, people with different cases call me, and I try to share my knowledge and guide them as much as I can.
I have received several awards, including the Christchurch Civic Award and an Award of Recognition for my contributions to the community during the pandemic. In 2021, I established Canterbury Kia Ora Academy, a charitable trust. Through this charity, I can help other communities as well, not just the Iranian community.”
- Hero
View more stories, or nominate someone: @humansofchch
www.humansofchch.org......
Loading…
