Last week in Tabernash, Colorado, a clear night sky offered a reminder of what thoughtful stewardship can protect.
Colorado’s dark sky communities are about more than astronomy. They reflect local choices about conservation, responsible growth, wildlife protection, energy use and public access to a resource many people rarely experience: a truly dark night sky.
That connects directly to how I think about place, philanthropy and stories.
Place is shaped by the policies, investments and community decisions that determine what is protected, developed or shared. Dark sky work makes those choices visible in practical ways: lighting standards, land use, tourism, habitat protection and local identity.
For philanthropy, it is a useful example of place-based investment: supporting communities as they protect environmental assets, strengthen local decision-making and define growth on their own terms.
And for storytelling, dark skies offer a clear frame for what communities value and why preservation is often about more than landscape. It is about access, belonging and the future people want to build together.
The photo from Tabernash captures a beautiful sky, but it also points to a broader question: what do we choose to protect when we take place seriously?
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