• Join the City of San Rafael on Thursday, Nov. 5, at 5 p.m. for a one-hour educational panel on dark skies. The event will be held in the City Hall Council Chambers, 1400 Fifth Avenue. You can also listen remotely at
• The panel brings together local and regional experts who’ll share practical knowledge about protecting the night sky. Community members are invited to submit questions in advance by emailing city.manager
• Panelists:
• Laura Arndt is a retired nurse and Point Reyes resident of more than 50 years, and represents DarkSky West Marin, an all-volunteer group working to protect West Marin’s Milky Way views from light pollution’s harm to humans and wildlife and to earn designation as a DarkSky Place from DarkSky International.
• Anna Kondolf owns Anna Kondolf Lighting Design and works with DarkSky West Marin, bringing over 36 years of Bay Area lighting design experience to her advocacy for dark sky ordinances that address light pollution’s harm to both the environment and human health.
• Bobbi Simpson is a director of the Marin Conservation League, bringing a 33-year National Park Service career, from Alaska and the Everglades to Point Reyes and most recently as Invasive Plant Liaison for 14 California national parks, to her advocacy for dark skies, climate solutions, and the protection of Marin’s treasured parks and open space.
• Julian Wood is a Senior Scientist and San Francisco Bay Program Leader at Point Blue Conservation Science, where he leads bird monitoring and research projects and develops partnerships to advance conservation and climate adaptation planning.