We certify and help conserve starry sky parks, communities, and places around the world
The world-renowned and award-winning International Dark Sky Places (IDSP) Certification Program is the Gold Standard in dark sky protection.
It was founded in 2001 to encourage communities, parks and protected areas around the world to preserve and protect dark sites through responsible lighting policies and public education.
Certified International Dark Sky Places in Colorado
Dark Sky Parks
- Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
- Curecanti National Recreation Area
- Dinosaur National Monument
- Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument
- Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve
- Hovenweep National Monument
- Jackson Lake State Park
- Mesa Verde National Park
- Slumgullion Center (a.k.a., Lake Fork Earth and Sky Center)
- Top of the Pines
- Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area
- Browns Canyon National Monument
- Chimney Rock National Monument
Dark Sky Communities
Places in the DarkSky Certification Pipeline
Dark Sky Communities
- Silverton
- Durango
- Town of Berthoud
- Old Snowmass
- Town of Morrison
- City of Gunnison
- Town of Breckenridge
Dark Sky Reserves
- Southern San Juan
- San Miguel County
- Sangre de Cristo
Dark Sky Parks
- Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area
- Ron Stewart Preserve at Rabbit Mountain
- Orient Land Trust
- Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site
- Browns Canyon National Monument
- Chimney Rock National Monument
- State Forest State Park
- Ridgway State Park
- Rifle Gap State Park Complex
- Eleven Mile State Park
- Elkhead Reservoir State Park
Our Leaders
Board of Directors for 2026
Julia Puester
Chair, Board of Directors
Julia became the volunteer Board Chair for DarkSky Colorado in January 2026 after being further educated in the benefits of dark skies by DarkSky Colorado and DarkSky International staff during the application process for the designation of a Dark Sky Certified community. With over 25 years of experience in local government, Julia has dedicated her career to collaborating with citizen organizations, individuals, governmental bodies, and private entities on a multitude of issues including urban planning, affordable housing, economic development, sustainability and historic preservation. Since 2006, she has been involved in crafting exterior lighting regulations and education around responsible outdoor lighting.
Dr. Jimmy Negus
Vice Chair, Board of Directors
Dr. Negus completed his Ph.D. in astrophysics at the University of Colorado Boulder in 2023, and is currently a Solar Physics Research Scientist at the University of Colorado Boulder (CIRES/ NOAA affiliate). In his spare time, he enjoys stargazing with his 8” Dobsonian Telescope in the Rockies and participating in astronomy outreach. He has authored two books with Enslow Publishing – Mysteries of Space: Black Holes Explained and Mysteries of Space: Supernovas Explained.
Mike Pach
Secretary, Board of Directors
Mike Pach, owner of 3 Peaks Photography & Design, is an internationally known, award-winning photographer, speaker and author with more than 40 years of experience in photography. He is the founder of the Colorado Photography Learning Group and has been teaching photography and Photoshop classes since 2007. Mike is the author of Colorado Springs Then and Now, and he conducts night-sky photography workshops. He is also a former aerospace engineer with a Bachelor of Science degree from St. Louis University and an MBA from Maryville University.
Derek Sorkin
Treasurer, Board of Directors
Currently retired, Derek previously held a number of executive leadership roles in sales and business operations for a number of tech companies focused on developer tooling (GitHub, Sentry.io, and Abstract). He is also the former President of the Board of Directors for Colorado Music Bridge, a 501(c)3 focused on providing modern music education to underserved school districts and after school programs in Colorado.
George Wolf
Board of Directors
George Wolf is a retired professor of astronomy. He has done research at, or visited, many of the best dark-sky places on the planet. Recently he volunteered to work with Colorado Parks and Wildlife to help identify some of the best Colorado state parks for viewing the night sky.
Weylin Ryan
Board of Directors
Weylin is an advocate for sustainable tourism and the environment. He has a Masters of Sustainable Tourism from the University of Arizona. His thesis was “Light Pollution, Dark Skies and Certifications, The New Tourism Resource”. He currently works for The City of Durango Destination Management & Sustainability Strategist where he looks at the visitor impact on La Plata County Colorado.
Dr. Casara Andre
Board of Directors
Dr. Casara Andre is a veterinarian and healer guided by a lifelong commitment to the health and wellbeing of all species — human and non-human alike.
Dr. Andre’s veterinary practice is locally rooted in Colorado and focuses on trauma-responsive care, interspecies medicine, and cross-species family systems. Her career has intersected with emerging fields such as cannabis and psychedelic medicine, and she provides harm reduction education and professional training to colleagues internationally on these novel modalities.
Dr. Andre brings to the Dark Sky Colorado board a passion for wildlife welfare, community outreach, and building bridges between scientific communities and younger, more diverse audiences.
Our Staff
Aaron Watson
Dark Sky Certification Specialist
Aaron is DarkSky Colorado’s Dark Sky Certification Specialist and leads the Colorado Dark Sky Certification Mentor Program. Residing in Paonia, Aaron was instrumental in Paonia becoming a certified International Dark Sky Community, and loves experiencing the natural night sky through observing and night photography.
Administrative Leaders
Julia Puester, Board Chair
Jimmy Negus, Vice Chair
Derek Sorkin, Treasurer
Mike Pach, Secretary
2026 Dark Sky Certification Program Mentors
Aaron Watson
Mark Laurin
Benjamin Banet
The Colorado Dark Sky Certification Mentor Program
DarkSky Colorado and the Colorado Tourism Office seek to partner with prospective dark sky locations and tourism destinations across the state that are interested in advancing strategies that help achieve International Dark Sky Place (IDSP) certification and enhance Colorado’s visitor experience.
Learn more about the program here
See the below links for available Dark Sky Mentor Program tools and resources:
Thank You!
Thanks to DarkSky Colorado’s donors, partners, volunteers and leadership, Colorado has more DarkSky certified communities and open spaces than almost any other state. Our collaborative efforts towards humane, sensible outdoor lighting practices have made a tremendous difference in preserving the well-being of Colorado’s people, wildlife and ecosystems.
This website update was made possible by the Colorado Tourism Office’s Tourism Destination Management Grant. We are grateful for the CTO’s partnership and support.
Advocating for DarkSky standards in Colorado has taken on greater urgency in past few years, and we need your help. The noxious effects of light pollution in our beautiful state are spreading at an alarming rate. Every year you look up to the night sky in this country, there are seven- to 10-percent fewer stars visible. Light pollution in Colorado kills droves of migratory birds, disrupts the behavior of nocturnal wildlife, and negatively impacts our quality of life in various, well-documented ways.
Fortunately, while most problems this large require complex solutions with painful tradeoffs, this one doesn’t. Light pollution is technically easy to reverse, but it is much more easily dealt with before it becomes a problem.
Join us in our efforts to conserve and restore the beauty of the Colorado night sky.
Sign Up to Become a Member
Become a member of Dark Sky Colorado and join a community dedicated to preserving our beautiful night skies by reducing light pollution. Your membership supports education, advocacy, and local initiatives that make a lasting impact on the environment, wildlife, and our ability to enjoy the stars. Not ready to join? You can still make a difference by donating—every contribution helps us protect the night sky. Stay connected by joining our mailing list to receive updates on events, workshops, and news about dark sky conservation efforts across Colorado.
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