Star light, star bright: LS Girl Scout focuses project on a pollution few discuss

When Katelin Gregoire embarked on her Girl Scout Gold Award project, she decided to embrace an interest in science that goes back to a fourth-grade trip to the Cosmosphere in Hutchinson, Kansas.

Now she’s hoping her research on light pollution can make a difference in Lee’s Summit.

“(The Cosmosphere) just showed me everything about stars I didn’t really know,” Katelin said. “I was very interested in everything. I went on to do my own research on stars. That’s when I found out about light pollution.”

The Lee’s Summit High School senior has focused on researching the effects of light pollution on the local ecosystem and what developers and construction companies can do to mitigate the damage.

“If you put a streetlight right next to crops and things like that, a specific part of your crops aren’t going to thrive as well because that light is on all night, versus the ones that aren’t directly by that light,” Katelin said.

Nocturnal animals, such as owls, can also have difficulties due to artificial light.

“It’s harder for them (owls) to hunt, because they’re used to using their eyesight at night, and adding that light really puts a strain on their eyes. Insects are attracted to the light, so they’ll fly into the lights or try to get to the lights. It can be really harmful to the bugs,” Katelin said.

She started the project with the idea she might be able to get specific lights changed but found that “it’s very, very hard to get something taken out and put back in.”

Katelin shifted her idea to try and advise construction companies about this issue so they can make adjustments as they construct new sites. Making those presentations took her out of her comfort zone.

“It’s a little nerve-wracking, but I would say Girl Scouts definitely prepared me for a lot of those things: being able to get in front of a group of people and speak. I look at it as a conversation but with a larger amount of people,” she said.

Her presentations include information on what the lights do, how she conducted her research and suggestions on what types of lights and light fixtures have less impact on the surrounding environment.

One construction companies told her that they don’t always get to choose the lighting that goes into a project. Another, however, said they liked her presentation and would try to implement some of her ideas.

John Bondon, a Lee’s Summit real estate developer and family friend of Katelin’s, said he was impressed with her project.

“I think it’s an unbelievable idea she came up with, but as you know, stuff like this takes time. It depends on how aggressive she wants to be with it,” he said.

Bondon said he hopes she seeks out a grant to do further studies in this area.

Katelin is taking things one step at a time.

“I think my favorite part is just knowing that I am trying to make a change in something that I’m very interested in… to know I’m putting those ideas in people’s heads and spreading the word about it,” she said. “I like the stars, and I want other people to enjoy them as well.”