Cumbria's dark skies allow us to see the natural wonder of the stars, but are also critical for the health wildlife and our own natural well-being. Sadly light pollution in Cumbria is increasing each year, threatening to obscure our view of the stars and blinding and confusing animals so they can’t feed or find a mate. We need urgent action now to stop light pollution. Stargazers, photographers, wildlife lovers and local communities… please help.
Or you can give by text to 70085. Just message DARKSKIES along with your chosen donation amount (eg DARKSKIES 5 to donate £5). Standard message rates apply.
The Lake District and Cumbria offers some of the most spectacular and precious skyscapes in England and we want you to join us on an interstellar adventure. Download our Dark Sky Discovery Pack and get started today!
Dark skies are integral to the tranquility and people’s enjoyment of the many great landscapes of the Lake District and across Cumbria. Read more
Dark Skies Cumbria project events and activities. Our next Cumbria Dark Skies Festival will be from 12-26 February 2022. Find out about Alien Worlds, take a Galaxy Tour, a night time canoe paddle, or follow an Eclipse Chaser! Read more
We believe that the Lake District offers some of the most spectacular and precious skyscapes in England and we want you to join us on an interstellar adventure. We're publishing tips and guides to help you make the most of our starry skies! Read more
26th February - 6th March. Count the stars you can see within the constellation of Orion. With your help, CPRE can create a map to show the best places for stargazing and where it is difficult because of light pollution. Read more
‘Craftivist’ Danielle helped inspire an outdoor art trail to raise awareness about light pollution during Chorlton Arts Festival in September. She produced a beautifully illustrated and fact-packed light pollution awareness handbook ‘Blinded by the Light’ Read more
The success of Cumbria’s third Dark Skies Festival, shows that people want to get outside and experience nature and wildlife in the dark. Several hundred people attended activities and events spread all across the county, and in the Lake District National Park. Read more
An exciting selection of in-person night time events in the wilds of Cumbria, from rock pooling in the dark on the west coast, to night woodland walks at Arnside and Staveley, night time canoeing, listening to wildlife and studying the moon through a telescope. Read more
Greater understanding of the needs of the European Hedgehog, an urban adaptor species in serious decline, will help to inform and establish effective conservation measures for the protection of this nocturnal insectivore. Read more
Tim Farron, MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale
Simon Fell, MP for Barrow and Furness
Neil Hudson, MP for Penrith and The Border
Mark Jenkinson, MP for Workington
International Dark Sky Association