DarkSky International has certified the City of Bee Cave as an International Dark Sky Community. The town, in an environmentally sensitive region west of Austin, has been working towards the certification for years, including by passing a 2022 city lighting ordinance designed to protect the darkness of the night sky.
In a release from the IDA, Scott Cronk with the Lake Travis Youth Association Sports Fields said, “Becoming a Dark Sky Community will be a tremendous blessing to LTYA and the community. Since installing dark-sky certified lights, we have had nothing but compliments from our neighbors, city staff, city officials, and our families.” The LTYA fields were the first sports complex in Texas to be certified.
Bee Cave Mayor Kara King said, “As an educator, my passion is our children and their learning. I want our kids to learn to look up instead of always looking down at their devices. Some of my most cherished memories are stargazing with my grandfather, and I want our kids in this community to get a chance to make those same memories. Being a dark sky community is a wonderful way to remind our residents that there is magic above us and we are lucky to live in an area that allows them to enjoy it in all its glory.”
Bee Cave held many educational events about becoming a Dark Sky community and plans to hold more.