Terrible Home & Life Habits That Are Harming The Wildlife Around You

7.Unregulated Outdoor Lighting

Have you ever looked at a bright light and immediately felt pain or discomfort? The wildlife feels the same way, which is why it’s important to control excessive or misdirected outdoor lighting. It can easily disrupt nocturnal wildlife, affecting their behavior and navigation. One solution to this is to use motion-sensor lighting. You can also shield lights to direct illumination downward and always make sure to turn off unnecessary lights at night and when not in use.

Researcher Christopher Kyba said, “Predators use light to hunt, and prey species use darkness as cover,” Kyba explains. “Near cities, cloudy skies are now hundreds or even thousands of times brighter than they were 200 years ago. We are only beginning to learn what a drastic effect this has had on nocturnal ecology.” To make matters worse, artificial light can lead baby turtles towards their demise, by leading them towards humans instead of towards the sea and safety (Dark Sky).