Northern Skies Nature Center is dedicated to educating the public about light pollution as well as preserving dark skies. Our campuses use cutting edge dark-sky friendly lighting and all three of our locations are proudly certified by the International Dark-Sky Association as International Dark Sky Parks.

The lobes of the middle and top tiers of the logo create the shape of a crown studded with stars. The top-most star is Polaris, commonly referred to as the “north star.” All four stars in the mark form an inverted, simplflied version of the asterism known as Corona Borealis or “nothern crown.”

The colors of the Northern Skies Nature Center brand were chosen because they symbolize the duality of night and day. These three colors resembles the transitional light seen in the sky during twilight and dawn.

Light pollution is one of the toughest types of pollution to combat because most people don’t even realize it exists. There is a universal state of mind that believes more light equals more security. Studies show that the opposite is true. Criminal activity is higher during the day. More artificial light at night is harmful to nocturnal ecosystems as well as human health. Every year, cities and neighborhoods grow and every year the lights get brighter and more numerous. 

I designed this infographic as a sort of exhibit type display that for the visitor center and/or out in the park itself.

As part of Northern Skies’ educational outreach program, all Northern Skies Nature Center locations have vans for transporting staff and equipment (telescopes, animals, etc.) In an effort to reduce their ecological footprint, all vans are electric. 

The Northern Skies brand colors are used in a gradient to mimic the sky at twilight. Every van dons the logo, wordmark, tagline, and website for promotional purposes. The van should invoke curiosity and excitement to all who see it.

Who doesn’t like merch? I made a lot of it to showcase the nature center’s brand.