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What is Light Pollution?
Light pollution is the alteration of natural nighttime lighting levels that results from use of artificial lights by humans. The addition of this artificial lighting can have negative impacts on the health of plants, animals, and people.
The Effects of Light Pollution
Light pollution negatively impacts wildlife and ecosystems, energy and the climate, human health, crime and safety, and our cultural connection to nighttime.
Pollution Solutions
Our actions have impact, including those as simple as turning off unnecessary lights or using warm-colored light bulbs. Dimmers, motion sensors, and timers can help to reduce the average amount of energy and illumination.
Light Pollution in Sonoma County
Santa Rosa is a 6.8 on the Bortle scale, typical of a suburban sky. This means that the milky way is barely visible and that light pollution is visible in most directions.
Sources of Light Pollution
Team Nachtlichter. Citizen science illuminates the nature of city lights. Nat Cities 2, 496–505 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44284-025-00239-5
Light polluition + Migratory Birds
Local Migratory Bird Dashboard (LIVE March 1-July15)
Migratory birds and other animals that move at night often use cues from celestial light (star position, moonlight) to navigate along their journeys. When the view of the night sky is obscured by light pollution from Artificial Lights At Night (ALAN), it can lead them to become disoriented, sometimes with fatal consequences. ALAN is a contributing factor in the decline of birds worldwide.
You can help birds by following guidelines like these which help reduce light pollution without significantly disrupting human quality of life.
Sonoma County is occasionally visited by migratory Sand Hill Cranes. Photo credit: Claude Lyneis, from iNat.org
One of our breathtaking local moths, the Wavy Lined Emerald. Photo Credit: Chrissy McClarren & Andy Reago, from iNat.org
Light Pollution + Moths
Check out these species of Moths and Butterflies seen in Sonoma County!
Moths (and their generally day-time counterparts, the butterflies) are important pollinators of wild plants. As small, generally-herbivorous prey animals, moths are also a vital link in the food chain supporting birds, amphibians, reptiles, mammals, and fish. However, they are quite vulnerable to artificial light - as anyone who has witnessed a swarm of moths trapped at a bright light can attest - which disorients them so thoroughly that it can prevent them from foraging for food, mating, traveling to vital resources, or even lead to their death by exhaustion. The result of light pollution on moths (and other nocturnal insects) has massive ripple effects on other areas of the environment, from bird populations to plant reproductive success.
You can help night-flying insects - and all the other creatures who need them - by following guidelines like these, which help reduce light pollution.
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