Cultural District Turns Off the Lights

The Fort Worth Museum of Science and History is excited to announce its participation in Lights Out Texas, a biannual event that aims to protect migrating birds from collisions during the Fall and Spring bird migrations. During the Spring migration, hundreds of millions of birds will migrate through the state of Texas as they travel north from their southern wintering grounds.

Due to light pollution in major cities, an estimated one billion bird deaths occur every year from collisions with buildings and structures. In an effort to protect these migrating birds, the Museum has partnered with the following members of the Cultural District to turn off all non-essential lights during the critical peak spring migration period from April 19 – May 7.*

Amon Carter Museum of American Art
Arts Council of Fort Worth | Fort Worth Community Arts Center
Cattle Raisers Museum
Fort Worth Botanic Garden | Botanical Research Institute of Texas
Kimbell Art Museum
Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth
National Cowgirl Museum & Hall of Fame
Performing Arts Fort Worth | Bass Performance Hall | Maddox Administration Building
Will Rodgers Memorial Center

“Birds are a vital part of our ecosystem and migration is an especially vulnerable time for them,” said Dr. Morgan Rehnberg, Chief Scientist at the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History. “When something as simple as turning off the lights can make a difference, it’s a no-brainer. It’s wonderful that so many organizations and families in North Texas are pitching in to help.”

Image created by Tim Wallace
Photo courtesy of FWMSH

The Lights Out Texas effort is led by a coalition of partners including conservation non-profits, universities, governmental organizations, and Texans dedicated to the conservation of birds.

Bird collisions can occur at any point during the full spring migration of March 1 – June 15. This spring, the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History and their partners in the Cultural District will prioritize the window of April 19 – May 7 when half of the total spring bird migration traffic passes through Texas. As an added bonus, turning off non-essential lights also saves energy for cities, local businesses, and homeowners.

Rural, residential, and commercial buildings are all encouraged to participate, particularly businesses and residences with non-essential and decorative lighting near the tops of buildings.

To learn more about Lights Out Texas and the Spring bird migration, visit the Lights Out Texas website.

Lights Out Texas represents one piece of the Museum’s annual Earth Week celebration (April 19 – April 25). To learn more about Earth Week programming, visit the Museum’s website.