Lights Out: Help Save CT's Migrating Birds

Millions of birds pass through Connecticut every spring and fall on their way to and from their summer nesting grounds. Because our state is located along the Atlantic Flyway, many birds use our shorelines and green spaces to rest and refuel during their trip.

But light pollution has wreaked havoc on our night sky. Artificial light emitted by our homes, buildings, street lights, bridges, and other structures can confuse and disorient birds, causing them to land near buildings, crash into windows, and/or circle around for hours until they drop from exhaustion. The result is catastrophic: Nearly 1 billion bird deaths in North America each year.

Craig Repasz is a co-found and co-chair of Lights Out CT. Lights Out Connecticut advocates for legislation on the state and local level as well as educational outreach across the state.

Craig is also president of the Friends of Stewart B McKinney NWR, an organization devoted to supporting this important refuge. He was president of the New Haven Bird Club and the conservation chair of the Connecticut Ornithological Association. He has been the volunteer coordinator for the Connecticut Bird Atlas for six years. He enjoys backpacking and conducts Mountain Birdwatch surveys for the Vermont Center of Ecostudies, focusing on the Bicknell’s Thrush and other high elevation species.