Challenging perceptions of darkness to enhance biodiversity

Exploring how curated nighttime experiences might reshape how people value darkness and biodiversity.

Project summary

Light pollution is a rapidly growing threat to wildlife, yet humans strongly associate darkness with danger.

This project explores how curated nighttime experiences - featuring experimental lighting and acoustic soundscapes at the Royal Botanic Gardens- might reshape how people value darkness and biodiversity. Through two workshops intersected by an immersive nighttime experience, the research is examining how direct exposure to varied lighting scenarios can shift perceptions and trade-offs between human safety and biodiversity.

What are we interested in?

Urban parks are critical wildlife refuges, particularly for species that are sensitive to light at night. Yet parks are becoming increasingly lit to enable longer periods of human activity. Eliminating lighting is often not feasible because humans strongly associate light at night with perceptions of increased safety, despite the health and biodiversity benefits of darkness.

The goals of our project

To develop and trial a proof-of-concept for curated nighttime experiences that explore how direct, multisensory exposure to varied lighting and biodiverse soundscapes can shift human perceptions and values around darkness, safety, and biodiversity.

Outcomes / activities

Two participatory workshops with baseline and post-experience surveys; a curated immersive nighttime experience at the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria (South Yarra) featuring experimental lighting scenarios and acoustic nighttime soundscapes; online webinar to engage with community and share research.