A New Horizon
SPEAKER: Ashlee Wallace and Caity Swartz
The Western Colorado Astronomy Club meeting is Tuesday 3rd March at 6:00 PM. The live meeting will be at Mesa Room Central Library.
Over the last six years, Highline Lake has been on a mission to become Colorado's next Dark Sky Certified Park. The park has fundraised, received grants, and slowly converted all of the facilities into light compliance, but that was just the beginning. Through extensive interpretive programming, sky quality monitoring, and advocacy, the park has protected the dark skies while maintaining habitat for endangered wildlife who also depend greatly on true darkness. With a generous grant from Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) and the Colorado Lottery, Highline Lake will soon see the installation of the Horizons Amphitheater - the agency's first amphitheater designed for dark sky programming and stargazing as well as an observatory. Ashlee will share the park's successes and struggles over the years while also sharing what's on the horizon.
The meeting will also be via Zoom for those who need or want to participate remotely. You will have to pre-register to participate via Zoom. Contact us here to register.
We hope to see everyone (either live or online)
SPEAKER BIOS:
Ashlee Wallace is the Park Manager at Highline Lake State Park where she has been advocating for and protecting Colorado's natural resources since 2014. Focusing on the balance between visitation with conservation, she aims to increase accessibility and experience for visitors of all backgrounds without compromising the natural resources that make Colorado so incredible. Ashlee received a Bachelor's Degree in Geology from Western Colorado University and later a Master's Degree in Conservation Law Enforcement from Unity College in Maine. When she's not looking down (looking for cool rocks, of course), she's looking up at the stars.
Caity's Bio: Caity Swartz has been part of the Highline Lake team since 2023, serving in numerous roles including Park Ranger, Visitor Services Technician, and most notably has revamped the park's interpretive programming, offering classes and clinics to the park's 250,000 annual visitors. As an educator, she has been instrumental in building connections between visitors and the park, focusing on dark sky programming and Leave No Trace principles. When Caity isn't working for the park, she's a Lead Instructor with the Outdoor Wilderness Lab (OWL), getting elementary and middle school kids into the great outdoors. In her personal time, Caity enjoys hiking and spending time with her fiancée and two children.
Notes: Payment of dues can be made at the meeting ($36 for a regular family membership and $18 for full-time students). If paying by check please make it payable to Western Colorado Astronomy Club. Please provide any updates to your email and mailing addresses for delivery of activity announcements and your subscription to the Reflector magazine. If you have any questions about membership, please contact us at: membership@wcacastronomy.org. Or you can pay online: here.