Shield Ranch Barton Creek, located about 22 miles northeast of Dripping Springs, has been certified as an Urban Night Sky Place cementing the region’s distinction as Dark Sky region.
Shield Ranch joins three neighboring designated International Dark Sky Places; Dripping Springs and Bee Cave, Texas – both International Dark Sky Communities – and Travis County Milton Reimers Ranch Park – an International Dark Sky Park – augmenting the regional effort to protect the night sky.
“Shield Ranch is Texas’s 20th International Dark Sky Place certified in the International Dark Sky Places program. In addition to three Developments of Distinction, there are now 23 internationally recognized sites in the state that have gone above and beyond in the pursuit of improving light pollution and educating the public about the importance of dark sky conservation. It is exciting to see how much the dark sky movement has grown in the state, especially in such a rapidly growing area,” remarked Amber Harrison, International Dark Sky Places program manager.
Shield Ranch is located on the eastern edge of the Texas Hill Country, just 18 miles west of downtown Austin. It is a 6,400acre nationally designated historic district and protected wildland comprising 10% of the Barton Creek watershed.
Fred and Vera Shield of San Antonio purchased the property in 1938 and the land continues to be stewarded by the Shield/ Ayres/Bowen family and the Shield Ranch Foundation. Through an evolving program of land stewardship, four generations of the family have gradually restored the Ranch to a mosaic of habitats that today is home to a diverse community of native plants and animals.
Shield Ranch is sustainably managed for the benefit of people and nature. To support the ambitious land management program, the Ranch partners with conservation organizations, universities, and governmental entities. It is protected in perpetuity by two conservation easements held by The Nature Conservancy and the City of Austin. The easements preclude commercial development while allowing traditional agricultural and recreational activities and limited development within strict parameters for a small number of family residences, ecotourism activities, and facilities for nonprofit and community group use.
The owners and managers of Shield Ranch understand the ways well-managed rangelands benefit a rapidly growing region, providing water and air quality, wildlife habitat, scenic vistas, and access to natural areas both during the daytime and at night.
“As advocates for wildlife conservation, we understand the importance of reducing outdoor lighting to reduce harmful impacts to wildlife including migrating birds, as well as moths and other insects that are active at night,” says Robert Ayres, co-owner of Shield Ranch.
“We look forward to joining other Dark Sky Places in the region,” says Blake Murden, CEO of the Shield Land Stewardship Group. “Shield Ranch will serve as a model to support, and increase, the number of dark sky initiatives in the area.”
Becoming a Dark Sky Place allows for not only sharing the pristine nature that exists at the Ranch during the daytime but also its natural nocturnal environment with visitors.
The Shield Ranch Foundation was established in 2008 with the mission to steward and share the Ranch in ways that educate, inspire, and transform. In fall 2022, the Campsite at Shield Ranch opened to provide awardwinning facilities for Camp El Ranchito, a scholarship-based overnight camp, and to host community groups for both day and overnight use, offering immersive nature programs for all ages.
Night sky education ranges from public events to incorporating dark sky education at Camp El Ranchito (4th-12th graders). Established in 2007, El Ranchito consistently provides campers with the opportunity to experience a dark night sky and night sky education. Year-round the Campsite at Shield Ranch (a sustainably built off-grid facility) welcomes community group use and hosts events. The Campsite staff offer nature-based experiences and among these, night sky and dark sky education.
In response to a Hill Country Alliance initiative to promote dark skies, Shield Ranch signed a Dark Skies Pledge. In the Shield Ranch 2018 Master Plan, dark sky-compliant fixtures were included in the design guidelines and performance metrics for structures built for the Campsite as well as any buildings to be constructed in the future. Shield Ranch conducted a thorough outdoor lighting inventory and staff worked to retrofit outdoor lighting which resulted in 89% compliance at the time of application. The Ranch also installed a permanent night sky quality monitoring station. The monitoring station participates in the Hays County Friends of the Night Sky “Sky Quality Meter Network,” taking nightly sky quality readings every 15 minutes. Measurements will contribute to the Globe at Night Monitoring and the Dark Sky Texas Sky Quality Monitoring networks.
“Their longstanding commitment to protect the nocturnal environment and to share the reasons and methods to control light pollution position them to be ideal candidates to be designated an International Dark Sky Place,” says Cindy Luongo Cassidy, president of Dark Sky Texas.
Shield Ranch is committed to educating visitors about how to protect the night sky and the impact that light pollution has on flora and fauna. This education will accompany the Ranch’s current nature-based programming. Shield Ranch is committed to collaborative efforts with like-minded conservation groups and surrounding Dark Sky Places. The Ranch’s involvement in the Hays County Friends of the Night Sky “Sky Quality Monitoring Network” will continue as it operates the permanent Sky Quality Meter station. Shield Ranch will continue to support the efforts and initiatives of Dark Sky Texas and the Hill Country Alliance and stay involved with the initiatives of other groups that align with the conservation of our night sky. Shield Ranch is proud to be an extraordinary place for the surrounding community to enjoy a dark night sky.
About the International Dark Sky Places Program: Founded in 2001, the International Dark Sky Places Program is a nonregulatory and voluntary program encouraging communities, parks, and protected areas worldwide to preserve and protect dark sites through effective lighting policies, environmentally responsible outdoor lighting, and public education. When used indiscriminately, artificial light can disrupt ecosystems, impact human health, waste money and energy, contribute to climate change, and block our view and connection to the universe. Shield Ranch Barton Creek now joins more than 210 Places that have demonstrated robust community support for dark sky advocacy and strive to protect the night from light pollution.
About DarkSky International: The mission of DarkSky is to preserve and protect the nighttime environment and our heritage of dark skies through environmentally responsible outdoor lighting.
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