Top Astronomy Award For Kaikōura Dark Skies Advocate

Monday, 19 May 2025, 7:40 pm
Article: David Hill - Local Democracy Reporter

Efforts to protect Kaikōura’s Hutton’s shearwaters from bright lights have led to a top astronomy award.

Nicky McArthur was recently awarded the Bright Star Award by the Royal Astronomical Society of New Zealand after her efforts to help the iconic native bird.

She is a founding member of the Kaikōura Dark Sky Trust, which was successful in obtaining international dark sky sanctuary status for the Kaikōura district from Dark-Sky International in September last year.

Kaikōura is the ‘‘last place on earth’’ for the Hutton’s shearwaters (tītī), with just two remaining wild colonies - including one on Mrs McArthur’s property, Puhi Peaks.

When the ‘‘pigeon sized’’ seabirds fledge from the mountains, they are often confused by the street lights and crash land in the town, she said.

‘‘For me personally, this journey has been a gift of learning and appreciation of how important protecting the natural darkness of the night sky is, including the ongoing protection of dark skies and quiet skies in the wider conversation.

‘‘But what a challenge we are facing in this crazy 21st century, where science is taking our learning deeper and deeper into space while daily being threatened by space junk and the rest.’’

Mrs McArthur said the award was the result of team work, as the small Kaikōura Dark Sky Trust team received support from dark sky enthusiasts from around New Zealand and overseas.

The Kaikōura application was just the third international dark sky sanctuary in New Zealand to be approved, after Aotea Great Barrier Island and Rakiura Stewart Island, with Kaikōura being by far the largest at more than 2000 square kilometres.

Mrs McArthur was nominated by Aucklander Gareth Davies, a member of Dark-Sky International’s dark sky places committee, which reviews and approves dark sky applications.

‘‘It is very clear to me that this application’s success was in the greatest part due to Nicky’s leadership, which resulted in funding being found to hire a project manager and an environmental consultant,’’ Mr Davies said.

The trust produced a private plan change to the Kaikōura District Plan, which led to new lighting rules and was adopted by the Kaikōura District Council last year.

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.

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