ENCINITAS — As the city develops a citywide dark skies ordinance, the Encinitas City Council has directed the city manager’s office to coordinate the city’s participation in International Dark Sky Week 2027.
The international event coincides with April’s new moon and is scheduled for April 12-19 in 2027.
Deputy Mayor Jim O’Hara said the event would be a “great way to promote the idea and the concept” as part of the long-term goal of creating a dark skies ordinance, which he said city staff is already working on.
Man-made light pollution, especially around developed cities, creates a nighttime haze that can create a range of negative biological impacts, such as on migration, nesting and species that rely on evading predators, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Research published by the National Institutes of Health found that humans also benefit from dark skies, including improved sleep, circulatory health and emotional well-being.
Bernard Minster – an Encinitas resident and academic who holds a doctorate in geophysics from the California Institute of Technology – told the council that San Diego County is “the most biodiverse county in the U.S., it’s the same for birds.”
According to the San Diego Bird Alliance, 67 million birds flew over the county in the spring 2026 migration period.
“That’s a lot of birds,” Minster said. “Night light is a problem for birds. They get confused. The moment it gets brighter than the moon, they lose their way – they just run into windows.”
Estimates of birds dying by flying into buildings range from 365 million to 988 million, and more than 80% of North America’s migratory birds migrate at night, according to the San Diego Bird Alliance.
Encinitas is sandwiched between the Batiquitos Lagoon and San Elijo Lagoon, which Minster said provide ideal environments for migratory birds to rest, fish and mate.
The city’s efforts to participate in International Dark Skies Week include dimming lights at municipal buildings; lagoon and beach stargazing events in partnership with the San Elijo Lagoon Ecological Reserve and other local astronomy organizations; educational presentations; and collaboration with residents and businesses for the weeklong event.
