EDITOR:

Earth Day has been celebrated since 1970, making 2025 its 55th anniversary. There are many ways to observe this holiday, including collecting trash on the beach or in a park, planting a tree or a shrub, or taking a hike in the woods. This is the time of migration. The birds are coming back from their winter quarters in the south. Many of them fly hundreds of miles at night. Instead of finding the bright lights of little cities like Escanaba welcoming, they can become confused and exhausted by the lights and even be injured as a result. Their sensitive eyes follow the stars and the moon. With one finger, flicking the switch and turning off unnecessary decorative outdoor lights, you can observe the holiday. With a moment’s effort, you can draw the blinds or close the curtains and keep indoor lights inside, and not lure the migrants to crash into your windows; whether they die right there or shortly afterwards, the result is the same, one less bird to sing its spring song. Your home and your working place can – but doesn’t have to be a source of light pollution. Many more than 300 million birds collide with buildings in the U.S. every year, many of them between April 1 and June 15, or during the fall migration between August 15 and November 30. You can participate in LightsOut, an international movement.

Who controls the lights at the commercial building where you work? Can the lights be turned off when you go home? How about a timer? Motion detectors on outside lights can reduce the time necessary lights are on. Usually parking lot lights are not needed when stores are closed and between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. When the parking lot lights are on, the cost of running them can be reduced by shielding them above so the light is directed downward. According to Birdcast.info (the reference for this article), the largest operating expense for commercial buildings is energy, so LightsOut saves them money. For every 1000 kWh that you save by turning lights off, you save $100 on your utility bill (assuming electricity costs 10 cents per kWh). Starting even before April 22, it’s an easy way for your company to save money, and the beauty of dark skies will be appreciated not only by the birds, but by you.

Valerie Heemstra, D.O.

Escanaba