At the heart of the UNESCO Southwest Nova Biosphere and the northern tip of our County, rests the Kejimkujik Dark Sky Preserve in Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site. Designated by the Royal Astronomical Society in 2010, Keji (as the locals call it) is committed to preserving the nighttime sky from the effects of artificial lighting. As part of the Dark Sky Program, visitors are educated about the ecological and cultural importance of dark skies.

Light pollution not only hides the brilliant stars in the sky at night, but has also been shown to affect the ecosystem. All living organisms, from plants to insects to humans, rely on a balance of light and dark. Over the millennia, plants and animals have evolved to live by the natural cycles of day and night. Since the advent of electricity and artificial light, the cycles have been disturbed and physiological, biological and even evolutionary changes are occurring.

The Kejimkujik Dark Sky Preserve safeguards the quality of the night sky to protect the habitats of nocturnal animals and to allow visitors to enjoy the stars at their full glory. Keji is the only place in Nova Scotia so designated. Come see the heavens in our little heaven, and look upon the same stars witnessed by the Mi’kmaq, European explorers and the early settlers. Time travel at its best.

Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site
Highway 8, Maitland Bridge, about 20 minutes north of Caledonia
http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/ns/kejimkujik/index.aspx

GPS – Keji Visitor Centre: 44.438667, -65.208449