Light gives us humans security at night. However, light can also become a burden for many organisms as "light pollution". The "Bright shines the night" campaign aims to raise awareness of this.

Night-time darkness is decreasing in Switzerland. Large, naturally dark areas are becoming rarer. According to the Federal Office for the Environment, light emissions have increased by 70% in the last 20 years. For some time now, astronomers and biologists in Geneva have been thinking about how to curb this light pollution. This year, they have joined forces with the "Festival of Nature" to raise awareness of the problem across large parts of the country. The "Festival of Nature" will be held for the 10th time in 2021. Events will be organized throughout Switzerland to raise awareness of natural values.

Light pollution has many negative effects on wildlife: the circadian rhythm is disrupted, migratory animals are irritated or misdirected, predator-prey relationships are disrupted and habitats lose their value. Plants cannot be pollinated due to the absence of moths or they lose their leaves too late.

But we humans also sleep better in the dark - and save electricity at the same time! Vacationers repeatedly point out that they can still see the stars and the Milky Way here and that they enjoy sleeping in the dark again. Darkness can even be an asset for tourists. The Gantrisch Nature Park, for example, has a star park that is well-known among amateur astronomers from Switzerland and abroad.

This year, the municipalities of the Leuk district as well as Sierre and Crans-Montana were inspired by the "la nuit est belle" campaign. On Friday, May 21, they will therefore extinguish part of the public lighting on their municipal territory. In doing so, these municipalities are making an active contribution to combating light pollution. The Pfyn-Finges Nature Park is supporting the campaign through communication.