KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – The Redbud Audubon Society will meet at the Taylor Observatory and Norton Planetarium in Kelseyville on Thursday, Nov. 21, to get an update on protecting Lake County’s dark skies.

The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. at the observatory, located at 5725 Oak Hills Lane in Kelseyville.

From Highway 29 (if you are coming from Lower Lake), take the first Kelseyville Main Street exit. After passing Kelseyville High School, turn right onto Konocti Road for about 1.2 miles. Take a right on Oak Hills Lane which turns into a dirt road and the observatory will be through an entrance on the left.

Elisa Prather and Angelo Parisi from the Lake County Office of Education are pairing up to provide a talk at the Taylor Observatory and Norton Planetarium in Kelseyville.

In the observatory’s classroom, Prather will share information about Lake County's Dark Sky Initiative and how it can bring astro-tourism to Lake County.

Part of the talk will include a focus on the environmental impacts of light pollution on nocturnal migrations of birds.

After Prather’s talk, attendees will move to the planetarium, where Parisi will share his wealth of astronomical knowledge to point out major objects in the night sky and to answer questions.

Weather permitting, Parisi will delight visitors with a look through his 14-inch Dobsonian telescope.

Dress warmly as much of the evening will be outside.

Prather is the science and math education specialist for the Lake County Office of Education. She previously taught science classes at both middle school and high school levels in Lakeport. In 2016 she was honored as the Lake County Teacher of the Year.

She has been a member of the Redbud Board of Directors for four years and chairs the chapter’s Education Committee.

Parisi is a retiree from the US Postal Service and currently the Taylor Field Trip coordinator for Lake County Office of Education. In this capacity he coordinates field trips and provides engaging learning activities for students from kindergarten to adults.

Friends of Taylor Observatory, with collaboration from many community stakeholders, is seeking Dark Sky Certification from the International Dark Sky Association, or IDA.

The group has been successful in its first effort towards this certification by convincing the Lake County Board of Supervisors to pass a proclamation in November 2018 to show support for this effort. Redbud Audubon was among the community groups that supported this first step.

A Certified IDA International Dark Sky Community is a town, city, municipality or other legally organized community that has shown exceptional dedication to the preservation of the night sky through the implementation and enforcement of a quality outdoor lighting ordinance, dark sky education and citizen support of dark skies.

Please plan to attend this interesting and informative meeting. The public is welcome.

For more information about the Redbud Audubon Society, go to www.redbudaudubon.org.