Up to a billion birds in the U.S. die from window collisions each year, most during spring and fall migration. The two main culprits are artificial light at night and glass. Join our panel to learn how advocates are working to secure local, regional, and state laws and regulations to address both.
Panelists
Leo Smith chairs DarkSky's Connecticut Chapter and previously served as its Northeast Regional Director. He works to incorporate dark-sky lighting principles into building codes. He drafted language to amend the Connecticut State Building Code to address parking lot lighting and, in 2019, introduced two code-change proposals to the New York State Energy Code. He served on the DarkSky International board (2004–2016) and was a voting member of the Illuminating Engineering Society's Roadway Lighting Committee (2006–2019). He lives in Suffield.
Misha SemeLev, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, WELL AP, CPHC, is an architect focused on designing buildings, cities, and regions in harmony with nature. As Yale University's Associate University Architect for Sustainability, he collaborates with the Office of Sustainability and campus partners to integrate the University's sustainability goals into its projects. He represents Chester on the Connecticut River Gateway Commission and advocates for dark-sky preservation along the river corridor.
Craig Repasz is co-founder and General Director of Lights Out Connecticut and President of the Friends of Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge. He is a past president of the New Haven Bird Club, a former conservation chair of the Connecticut Ornithological Association, and served as volunteer coordinator for the Connecticut Bird Atlas for six years. A backpacker, he has conducted Mountain Birdwatch surveys of Bicknell's Thrush and other high-elevation species for the Vermont Center for Ecostudies.