Revealing the Secrets of the Night: A Dark Skies UV Nature Walk

Our Dark Skies project recently lit up the Herefordshire night in a whole new way!

A group of curious walkers joined our Dark Skies team for a special Reveal Nature guided walk which lit up the night in a whole new way. They explored nature’s hidden side under the glow of UV torches.

This experience showed why dark skies matter. They are important not just for stargazing but also for discovering the nocturnal wonders beneath our feet. We always seek new ways to inspire people to appreciate the dark. This walk certainly did that.

Using powerful 60W 365nm UV torches (those numbers are key!), participants saw the amazing glow of chlorophyll in mosses and trees. They noticed how UV light reveals colours and patterns that daylight hides. One participant said:

“The Reveal Nature guided walk was incredibly interesting – as well as just being a very pleasant spot for a night walk! Chlorophyll shows up red, particularly brilliant to see on rocks from tiny mosses hardly apparent in the daylight. I was also interested to notice that trees showed a much more concentrated source of chlorophyll at the base of the trunk, reducing as you worked your way up!”

The walk was gentle and accessible, following a wide footpath at a slow pace. This encouraged everyone to tune in to their surroundings. We stayed on track and retraced our steps, showing you don’t need to go far to see something extraordinary.

Dark skies are crucial for nocturnal pollinators, such as moths, which play a vital role in pollinating plants, including key food crops like apples, peas, and oilseed rape. However, light pollution is increasingly disrupting their natural behaviors. If you can, please contribute to our project on our Just Giving page below.

Donate here

Thanks to everyone who joined us! If you want to hear about future night walks or volunteering with our Dark Skies team, we’d love to keep you updated. The night has many more secrets to share!

Sign up to our newsletter at the bottom of this page and visit our Dark Skies project using the link below.

Click here for more about Dark Skies Herefordshire