AMSTERDAM, Netherlands — ARTIS has officially been certified as an Urban Night Sky Place by DarkSky International.
ARTIS Park is now the first location in the heart of a European capital to receive this certification—and the first zoo in the world to earn the designation. This recognition honors ARTIS’s commitment to reducing light pollution and highlights the importance of darkness for both nature and people in urban environments.
When viewed from the air at night, Amsterdam appears as a sea of light, with one remarkably dark spot: ARTIS. Located in the center of the city, the park serves as a unique oasis of darkness where night truly remains night. ARTIS is responsible for the wellbeing of its animals, and a proper night’s rest is essential. Both the city’s urban wildlife and the animals cared for by ARTIS benefit from the preservation of natural darkness.
Valuable for a wide audience
“It’s fantastic that ARTIS has been certified as an Urban Night Sky Place. The fact that, in a zoo in the light-filled city of Amsterdam, the night sky is being protected, and its importance explained to the general public, is tremendously valuable. This benefits not only residents and visitors, but also the animals. Hopefully, other urban zoos will follow ARTIS’s example, and more DarkSky Places will be created across the Netherlands.”
The importance of darkness
The Netherlands is one of the most light-polluted countries in the world. Artificial lighting in urban areas increases by 5 to 10 percent each year, disrupting biological rhythms, disorienting animals, and affecting human health. With this certification, ARTIS aims to serve as an ambassador for darkness, raising awareness about the impacts of light pollution on the natural world.
“Darkness plays a crucial role for plants, animals, and humans,” says Savitri Groag, Sustainability Coordinator at ARTIS. “By switching off lights, we return the natural rhythm to nature. This certification proves that even in the heart of a major city, darkness can be protected.”
To meet the requirements of DarkSky International, ARTIS conducted an inventory of all outdoor lighting and developed a long-term plan to replace or adapt certain lights. Unnecessary fixtures have been removed, and sustainable measures have been implemented to reduce energy use and preserve natural night conditions.
Ambassador of the dark
With this certification, ARTIS is officially recognized as an ambassador for darkness. DarkSky International requires certified sites to help the public experience the value of natural night, and starting this winter, ARTIS will offer a range of activities to help visitors experience the power of the night. During exclusive evening openings, a limited number of guests can wander through the park, experience the dark with all their senses, and perhaps even rediscover the stars.
A piece of lost Starry sky returned
“The only untouched piece of nature you can always see is right above your head. The starry sky connects us,” says Milo Grootjen, Head of the ARTIS Planetarium. “But in Amsterdam, as in many places in the Netherlands, light pollution has made the stars nearly invisible.”
Where light pollution limits the view to just a few hundred stars in central Amsterdam, a truly dark sky can reveal up to 6,000. “When people see the full starry sky in the Planetarium, you hear the gasp—the ‘wow’—you see the wonder. At ARTIS, even in the middle of the city, we’re giving people back a small piece of that lost night sky.”
About ARTIS
Since 1838, ARTIS has been an iconic destination in the heart of Amsterdam, where nature, education, and experience come together. As one of the five oldest zoos in the world, ARTIS offers visitors the opportunity to encounter nature in all its diversity. The historic ARTIS Park includes the zoo, a botanical garden, and the Planetarium. In addition, ARTIS-Micropia introduces visitors to the invisible world of microbes, while the ARTIS-Groote Museum explores the deep connection between humans and nature.
As a foundation and officially recognized charity (with CBF and ANBI status), ARTIS is dedicated to strengthening the relationship between people and the natural world—working together toward a livable future for all. (Website: www.artis.nl)
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