Dark Skies
What?
Artificial light at night can disturb nocturnal wildlife and significantly disrupt patterns of behaviour. Many species, including bats, moths, and migrating birds, rely on the natural cycle of day and night to feed, develop, and navigate the local environment. Night lighting can disorient or trap them, break up essential nocturnal routines, change feeding behaviour and alter patterns of development, especially in larvae (moth caterpillars for example). By adjusting how we light our buildings and streets, we can reclaim the night sky and restore balance for people and nature.
Where?
Everywhere: around commercial and industrial buildings, car parks, neon signage, residential areas and public parks and gardens. On the Isle of Wight, even small amounts of light from villages, farms or coastal resorts can fragment the dark corridors that connect feeding and roosting areas across our Biosphere landscape. For site-specific actions, check out the Isle of Wight Habitat Map, and find out what is particularly special around your garden or space.
How?
Keep it dark where possible. Switch off non-emergency lights overnight, reduce illumination to a minimum.
Use low-level, warm-coloured lighting (under 3000 K) to reduce glare and blue light that has a greater impact on insects.
Angle lights downward and fit shields or hoods to prevent upward or sideways spill into the wider environment.
Install timers or motion sensors so lights come on only when needed.
Avoid floodlighting trees, ponds, walls or hedgerows used by wildlife for feeding or shelter.
Add night-flowering plants such as Nicotiana, Night-scented Stock, Honeysuckle, Jasmine and Evening Primrose to attract moths and beetles and the bats that feed on them.
Plan lighting as habitat design. Keep “dark corridors” between green spaces and along hedgerows, tree lines and rivers.
When?
Lighting changes can be made at any time, but assess your space at night first to identify where dark zones and wildlife routes might be. Avoid major outdoor lighting or façade work during the breeding and rearing season (March–August) for bats and birds. Temporary lighting can be a problem too, whether that’s a building site or a festival, so always include the management of night lighting and its impact on local wildlife in the risk assessment.
Why?
Preserving darkness is one of the simplest, most effective ways to help wildlife and save energy. Reducing artificial light supports nocturnal food webs, lowers carbon emissions and reveals the Island’s beautiful starlit skies, a defining feature of our UNESCO Biosphere. Thoughtful lighting design also creates calmer, healthier places for people.
Actions for Isle of Wight Species
Bats depend on dark corridors along hedgerows, field margins, streams and and tree lines to move through the landscape.
Moths and nocturnal beetles are essential pollinators but are disoriented or killed by bright lights. Their larvae too can be damaged by artificial light at night, leading to a reduction in abundance with problems then passed on into local food webs.
Owls and other nocturnal predators hunt more effectively in low-light landscapes.
Hedgehogs and amphibians move more safely through unlit gardens and verges.
Observe and Record
Make a note of any changes in wildlife activity that you notice after altering your night lighting.
Share your experience with others, things that have worked, and those that haven’t, technical and design information and
Watching your patch change is part of the recovery story and your records can feed into the Island’s Local Nature Recovery data.
Resources
“Supports LNRS goals to reduce light pollution and disturbance to nocturnal species: UGG1.4 Urban pollution control.”