IVINS — The Ivins Night Sky Initiative has announced the addition of two new board members: Sue Gordhammer and Kai Reed. Both have made significant contributions to the community through their involvement in other organizations, and they are passionate about the new organization’s mission.
The Ivins Night Sky Initiative aims to educate and inform on improving, preserving and protecting the night sky over Ivins and the heritage of dark skies through environmentally responsible outdoor lighting, and to serve as a resource for city officials, residents and businesses, according to a press release from the organization.
Read more: Ivins residents launch effort to protect night sky from light pollution
Reed, named director and vice president, has been involved with grassroots advocacy in Southern Utah since she first moved to Ivins in 1998. She was the administrative director of Citizens for Dixie’s Future (now Conserve Southwest Utah), a local citizen’s advocacy group focusing on smart growth and sustainability issues.
In 2011 she was one of the founding board members of Friends of Snow Canyon State Park dedicated to protecting and preserving the park, and in 2012 she helped create the Southern Utah Bicycle Alliance, which works to make cycling safe and enjoyable for all cycling enthusiasts.
She’s excited to be working with the Ivins Night Sky Initiative with the goal of achieving the International Dark Sky Community designation, according to the press release.
Gordhammer, named director and secretary, has been a dark-sky advocate since her first canyoneering trip in the San Rafael Swell 20 years ago. The incredible image of the night sky without any artificial light is still seared in her mind.
Sue is an avid hiker and mountain biker and enjoys getting out on the trails with family, friends and her dogs as often as possible. She made Ivins her home in 2017.
One of the primary reasons she chose to live in Kayenta is because of how the community embraces dark-sky principals, and she wants to ensure that all of Ivins can enjoy the beauty of the night sky, according to the press release.
For more information about the Ivins Night Sky Initiative and upcoming events, click here.
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