I've been spending as much time as I can out in the woods lately. The weather has been so nice, it feels more like summer than fall and I want to soak up as much of it as I can. There have been some really nice maple colors this year too! As much as I love the grand landscapes and sweeping, panoramic views from overlooks, I can easily spend a whole day wandering in the understory of the forest. Its from beneath the forest canopy that I feel the forest shows its beauty the most.
Over the Labor Day weekend this year I had the distinct pleasure of being invited by the Voyageurs Conservancy to give two presentations on two different nights for the 2025 Voyageurs Star Party in Voyageurs National Park. On Friday night, the Star Party convened at the Rainy Lake Visitor Center and on Saturday night the party moved to the Kabetogama Visitor Center. Both locations provided for stunning backdrops to experience the night sky.
There were many other events and presentations occurring beside mine, and all were super interesting. Starry Skies North, our local chapter of Dark Sky International, had an awesome informational table set up. The definite overall "star"of the party, though, was the telescope viewing under the stunning night skies of Voyageurs National Park. The staff of both Voyageurs Conservancy and Voyageurs National Park really put on an incredible event. The amount of passion that everyone has for dark skies was readily apparent.
One of the coolest aspects of the event was the amount of red lights that were used to line the walkways between the visitor centers and the areas where the telescope viewing was taking place. Red lights are the best lights to use to not mess up our night vision or intrude upon our view of the night sky. It was fascinating to see how thoughtfully the red lighting was implemented to enhance the event.
There were lots of "oohs and aahs" throughout both evenings, as visitors reveled in the beauty of the stars and the constellations. I had many wonderful conversations with folks from all over the globe, both before and after my presentations. It was so wonderful to see us all gathered there for one common theme, one shared passion... a love for the night sky.
What a great day out in the woods and on the water! Found some really cool mushroom communities, shared a moment with a big toad that was climbing the side of a tree, was greeted by swans while canoeing on a favorite local lake, and watched a beaver munching on some lily pads. Lots of color everywhere. A perfect September day.
September arrived with the promise of possibility in regards to a strong solar storm. While the magnitude of storm did not materialize, there was a nice multi-colored glow that persisted through the night. I sat in my camp chair for 3 hours soaking in the beauty of the subtle yet beautiful scene, while barred owls hooted intermittently nearby. This is forest bathing at its best.