📅 Wednesday 11th March 2026 | 🕐 13:00–14:00 GMT
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This talk focuses on the importance of protecting our dark skies and reducing light pollution. The Dark Skies Working Group Wales will share insights from their Good Practice Guidance: Planning for the Conservation and Enhancement of Dark Skies.
The talk will explore how simple changes in lighting can benefit wildlife, improve wellbeing, cut energy use and reduce carbon emissions. Participants will learn about practical Good Practice Lighting Principles and explore new resources such as the Dark Skies web app and StoryMap. The Good Practice Guidance won two awards in 2025: the Landscape Institute Excellence in Landscape Planning and Assessment and the Landscape Institute President’s Award – Best Landscape Scheme of the Year.
About the Speakers
Danielle Robertson is the Dark Sky Officer for Prosiect Nos, a partnership led by Snowdonia National Park Authority and the Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty of Ynys Môn, Pen Llŷn, and the Clwydian Range & Dee Valley, working to protect and restore dark night skies across North Wales. She champions conservation of natural darkness through community outreach, lighting retrofits, education and public events that raise awareness of light pollution’s impacts on wildlife, culture and health. Dani will provide an overview and introduction to the talk.
Jill Bullen is Lead Specialist Advisor for Landscape at Natural Resources Wales, where she provides strategic expertise on landscape evidence, planning and policy. She uses her extensive experience in landscape-led approaches to support sustainable development that strengthens connections between people, place and nature. Jill Bullen will discuss the Good Practice Guidance: Planning for the Conservation and Enhancement of Dark Skies in more detail.
Siobhan Wiltshire | Welsh Government
Siobhan Wiltshire is a Planning Policy Officer with the Welsh Government, where she champions policies and initiatives that protect Wales’ dark skies. She works to integrate evidence-based approaches into planning and green infrastructure strategies, supporting local authorities and communities in reducing light pollution and preserving natural nightscapes for biodiversity, culture, and wellbeing. Siobhan will talk about ‘DECCA’, which is a framework used to describe aspects of ecosystem resilience in planning policy: Diversity; Extent; Condition; Connectivity; Adaptability