- Plans for star park in the Altmark and Wendland
In the Altmark and Wendland regions, a private initiative is pursuing the goal of creating a cross-border starlight reserve. "The ideal scenario would be to have parts of Altmark and Wendland certified as a starlight reserve within three to five years, or perhaps even ten years," says Amanda Hasenfusz of the "Altmark Makers".
However, this is a complex process that requires funding. The "Altmark Makers" describe themselves as a support association for the local tourism association. In addition to aspects of environmental and nature protection, the initiative hopes to stimulate tourism development in the Altmark region.
The area along the former inner-German border is one of the darkest regions in Germany, according to data from the online portal "Light Pollution Map". The international organization "Dark Sky" certifies nature parks or specific regions as starlight reserves, among other things, based on strict guidelines. There are already such certified starlight reserves in the Westhavelland and Rhön regions, where light pollution is particularly low.
Concrete plans are already underway in the Wendland. The district of Lüchow-Dannenberg is currently working on a project application that would enable a bid for starlight reserve status within the next three years. However, there are still some challenges to overcome.
At least 80 percent of the municipalities in the core zones would have to agree to the lighting concept. In the Altmark, many steps are still needed to submit an official application for a starlight reserve, according to the initiative.
The initiative aims to involve other local municipalities in the Altmark region to collectively meet the required 80% agreement for the starlight reserve lighting concept. The success of creating a cross-border starlight reserve could inspire similar initiatives in other dark sky regions across Other parts of Germany.
