Richmond Audubon Society (RAS) Member Meeting

Richmond Audubon Society (RAS) Member Meetings!

We have added our Apr 2025 RAS Member Meeting information to the RAS Calendar on our website (richmondaudubon.org), as well as RAS Facebook, Instagram and Meetup. The meeting information is below as well.
Check it out!

Member Meeting, Thu, 04/17/25

Doors open at 6:00 pm for a social gathering and light refreshments.
Meet other RVA birders!
Our speaker will begin at 7:00 pm.

Topic:

Lighting Matters: An Introduction to Light Pollution and
Night Sky/Nightscape Conservation

Artificial light at night is essential to our lives, communities, and society. But the routine indiscriminate use of poorly designed lighting degrades ecosystems, imperils wildlife, and fails to deliver on promises of improved safety and security while also eroding our own health. What do we lose when we obliterate the stars from the night sky and darkness below it? This presentation will explore the causes and consequences of light pollution, explain the basics of responsible outdoor lighting, deliver good news about nightscape conservation, and equip the audience to bring back the night beginning at home. Because every day needs a night.

Presenter

Laura Greenleaf

Laura Greenleaf is a Virginia Master Naturalist (Riverine chapter, class of 2010) and a lifelong conservation advocate who currently works for Richmond’s James River Park System as a coordinator of invasive plant management. Laura’s original career was in social work. She holds a bachelor’s degree in social work from James Madison University and a master’s degree in public administration, with an environmental policy focus, from George Mason University. Laura grew up in the northern Blue Ridge and Shenandoah Valley and lived in the northern Piedmont until moving to the city of Richmond in 2007. This change in her own habitat ultimately led to her passion for light pollution reduction and her role representing the Virginia Chapter of DarkSky International (formerly the International Dark-Sky Association). She has delivered approximately 40 presentations over the years, supported innumerable advocates in their own communities, aided dark sky park efforts, and assisted policy initiatives. Her favorite Virginia night sky is over Highland County. She lives in the city of Richmond just south of the James River with her husband, son, and two cats.

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RAS Member Meetings are held:
Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Sep, Oct, Nov
Third Thursday of the month
(nb: No Member Meetings in Jun, Jul, Aug, Dec)
Meeting times are:
6:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Doors open at 6:00 pm for a social gathering and light refreshments.
Meet other RVA birders!
Our speaker will begin at 7:00 pm.
Meeting locations are:
First Unitarian Universalist Church
1000 Blanton Ave
Richmond, VA 23221
* NB: Date, time and location are subject to change.
Please check the RAS Calendar for the most up-to-date information.
No attendance fee.
Please consider joining us at our Member Meetings for great bird-related speakers and topics.
And, no, you do NOT need to be a RAS Member to attend!

Mario P Grasso II
Richmond Audubon Society (RAS) Board,
Publicity and Cyberspace Chairs