Why You Should Turn Your Lights Off For the Month of May

More often than not, our front and back door exterior lights are on. I know we are "wasting" electricity half of the time,  but this way, my forgetful self isn't stumbling around in the dark early in the morning, taking the dogs out, or leaving for work.

However, for the month of May, we are doing dark. No porch light or light around back between the hours of 10 PM and 6 AM. Why? For the birds! And experts say you should join us on our mission to help migration.

When Do Birds Migrate on the Mississippi Flyway?

Peak migration times are in the darkest parts of the evening, April through June. Over 325 types of bird species travel over our homes and settle around us to build nests and keep that circle of life going.

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Using stars and other signs in the sky to navigate from the Gulf of Mexico all the way North through central Canada, these feathered friends can be easily distracted. Bright lights outside around homes and businesses can confuse them and cause them to lose their way. Here's some information from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. It has the same vibe as Sarah McLachlan's ASPCA commercial, but it is very interesting.

How to Reduce Light Pollution For Birds & Bugs

By turning off outdoor lights, humans can make the skies safer for birds and those cute little guys you remember from childhood. Have you noticed fewer and fewer lightning bugs as the years go by?

There are a couple of ways to help bring back lightning bugs and help birds traveling over towns. Turn off exterior lights between 10 PM -6 AM, put exterior lights on a motion sensor so that they go off when not in use, and point exterior lights toward the ground, if possible. You can also spread the word and start the trend of going dark for the month of May!