Dark Sky Celebration Post 1 of 2 This year’s Dark Sky Celebration was a smashing success! On Saturday night, Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve hosted our annual Dark Sky Celebration which involved a “Birds of Prey” presentation by the Nature and Wildlife Discovery Center of Pueblo, Colorado who had featured three different owl species. After that, we had a kids’ activity and information table set up set up for questions of all ages. We then had an advocate from the International Dark Sky Association briefly speak about the importance of reducing light pollution and appreciating the dark skies. Then a ranger-led program was held discussing about various aspects of the night sky. Finally, the night ended with multiple telescope viewings of planets and deep sky objects. Thank you to the guest presenters from @nwdcco and @idadarksky, volunteers, interns, and rangers who made this event all possible. In total, there was over 300 visitors who came to learn more about the night sky and the wildlife who inhabit it! #GreatSandDunes #NightSky #DarkSky #Owls #NatureAndWildlifeDiscoveryCenter #InternationalDarkSkyAssociation #SpecialEvent #FindYourPark #EncuentraTuParque Photos: NPS / Brady Richards Photo 1 of 10 A long exposure photo shows a line of visitors standing in front of the amphitheater waiting to peer through a telescope being operated by one of our volunteers who discusses what they are about to see in the telescope. The Milky Way galaxy is seen in full view in the background of the image. Photo 2 of 10 Diana Miller from the Nature and Wildlife Discovery Center of Pueblo, CO begins speaking in the amphitheater about the center and the mission that they serve before bringing out the owls for the crowd of visitors. The dunefield appears in the background of the image. Photo 3 of 10 Three owl species were presented and discussed to visitors which include the Barn Owl (left), Great Horned Owl (center), and a blind-in-one-eye Screech Owl (right). Photos 4 through 10 can be seen in part two.