April 2, 2024  – To launch International Dark Sky Week, April 2 – 8, Friends of Nevada Wilderness today revealed Nevada’s newest specialty license plate that celebrates the state’s uniquely dark skies. Believed to be the first license plate in the country that features dark sky conservation, the Save Starry Skies plate is expected to be available to the public in May.

The plate was designed by Jonathan Boarini, an Advocate for Dark Sky International, a non-profit dedicated to preserving the night sky, and Chair of the Media Technologies Department at the College of Southern Nevada. His design was chosen from more than two dozen submitted. 

“We’re thrilled to be able to show the public this beautiful plate that we hope to see on vehicles across the state very soon,” said Roger Scholl, Founding Member and current Chair of the Friends Board of Directors. “As the use of excessive artificial light continues to spread, we are grateful for this opportunity to help educate the public about the value of preserving Nevada’s amazing dark skies.”

Studies have shown that 99% of the American population can’t step outside their homes and experience a truly natural night sky. In addition to rendering stars invisible, excessive artificial light negatively affects nocturnal wildlife and human health, wastes energy and contributes to climate change, and could result in the loss of the cultural and spiritual heritage of truly dark skies.

Rural Nevada is home to some of the last naturally dark skies in the country. But even there, starry skies are threatened by a variety of potential uses that could light up the night.

“Nevadans love their public lands for many reasons, one being the experience of sleeping out under a sky blanketed with stars,” added Friends Executive Director Shaaron Netherton. “Our goal with promoting this license plate is to help educate the public about the negative impacts of too much artificial light and to save our starry skies.”

Like all specialty license plates in Nevada, the Save Starry Skies plate will cost a little more than a standard-issue plate. Proceeds will go to Friends of Nevada Wilderness for public education, dark sky monitoring and conservation, and to help promote low-impact astro tourism in rural Nevada.

Visit nevadadarksky.org for more information on the new Save Starry Skies specialty license plate.