Empowerment Academy is the focus of hands-on, project based learning focusing on using education standards on real world problem solving. With a community growth goal and career exploration, the students of Mr. Josh Johnson have determined to help their community explore the skies above Calhoun County Park and help to further the Dark Skies Initiative.
Donald Pitts, President of the Calhoun County Park Board, and John Dennis, Associate Board Member and amateur Astronomer, spoke to Mr. Johnson’s class on Tuesday, February 15 to provide information to the students to help further their project.
The students were broken into three teams and task with creating awareness in the Park as well as the Community to the effect of light pollution and how it can be controlled. Students described to Mr. Pitts and Mr. Dennis how they proposed to make home owners and businesses aware of light solutions, encourage the adoption of light ordinances to protect the dark skies and provide park signage that would show what the County Park has to offer. In response to their planning, Mr. Pitts and Mr. Dennis offered methods of participation and additional resources they could use to promote their project ideas.
The students learned about new construction being done at the county park that would encourage dark sky enthusiasts to come to the park and use over $12,000 in resident telescopes and other equipment that were made possible through grant funding. The students relayed to the park staff their thoughts on using the barn and park trails to provide educational displays and scale models of moon phases and planet locations. They hope to put their artistic abilities to work doing a mural or canvas paintings of star formations.
Mr. Dennis encouraged them to seek information online at www.cleardarksky.org or www.cloudnights.com. He also shared how his love for astronomy came to be when his father used his World War II binoculars to show him stars in the sky, and how that love has grown over the years into building his own telescopes. He described to them an amazing opportunity that Calhoun County Park’s location affords in being able to see 110 Messier “famous” deep-sky objects (galaxies, nebulae, and star clusters) that are relatively bright and close to Earth. As such, they are not that difficult to see in northern skies using small beginner (4-inch) telescopes. Astronomy clubs and star parties may host a Messier Marathon where the goal is to find all 110 objects (M1 thru M110) in a single night! This can be done at Calhoun County Park.pp[[[
There are less than 60 Certified Dark Sky locations in the United States, and only one currently in West Virginia located at Watoga State Park. Calhoun County Park would like to become the second certified location which would increase use of the park and tourism in the State of West Virginia. The students of Mr. Johnson’s class were offered the opportunity ”do something that has never been done before.” Work with the Calhoun County Park Board to be the first Middle School group of students to get their Park certified by the International Dark Sky Association. The process will take one to three years and a great commitment by the students and park.
