I've recently joined the International Dark Sky Association
www.darksky.org where, for a small monetary donation, they put you on their mailing list and send out some very informative and helpful information.
I've culled through their various information sheets and typed up a couple of leaflets to hand out to friends looking through my scope.
I work for a local engineering firm who carry out a lot of construction work for the Territory Government and once I'd shown the boss these leaflets (and given him a look through my scope) he now has a better understanding of where I'm coming from and what I'm about. In short, he's going to give me names and contact addresses of the individuals and groups that I might most effectively lobby in order to put the "dark sky" concept forward.
I've also managed to get the local paper, the Centralian Advocate, to publish one of my letters on this subject, surprisingly edit free.
I'm firmly of the opinion that in order to make this thing work (and ultimately not just for one hour in the year) we have to win "hearts and minds" of friends and associates and the public at large.
We also have to lobby the individuals in government and infrastructure who are most involved and responsible for the sort of decisions that ultimately most affect the future of dark skies.
To further the "hearts and minds" concept, I've also taken to posting short threads on non-astronomy forums where I'm a member, usually in their "general chat" area under the heading of IYA 2009. This has had a generally positive effect so far with quite a few non astronomers and closet astronomers expressing an intrest in both astronomy and the dark sky concept.
When I first got my scope about 8 months ago, all of my viewing nights were solitary affairs. This is slowly but surely changing as friends, and friends of friends are coming out to my place of a Saturday night (weather and Moon permitting) for a bit of universe exploring. The boss at work has "booked" me for a future Saturday night so that he can bring a few of his friends along.
Needless to say, every guest gets one of my "dark sky propoganda" sheets.
From little things, big things grow!
Maybe I should have started a separate thread titled "No local Astro Society? - Start your own!"
Hope this little rant has been helpful or informative to some and I've not gone too far off topic.
