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CASS COUNTY — Days before hundreds of people flocked to Dr. TK Lawless Park for optimal viewing of the Perseid Meteor Shower, one local astronomer was recognized for his efforts to make the county park a destination for sky lovers.

Robert Parrish, of Edwardsburg, was recognized at the Cass County Parks board meeting Thursday, Aug. 8, by the Samuel Felt Chapter of the National Society of Daughters of the American Revolution, which awarded him the NSDAR Conservation Award and Medal.

Parrish, an amateur astronomer, presented the idea to designate a Dark Sky Park in 2017, to honor his late father, who loved the night sky. Parrish volunteered his time to complete a 60-page application, take light readings at the park, contact local, state and national officials for letters of support, and work with county officials to receive funding for the appropriate lighting. After two and a half years of hard work, the park was designated an International Dark Sky Park — one of just four in the state.

Four members of the DAR chapter, which is based in Dowagiac, were present at the meeting: Sandy Wilhoit, Mary Ellen Drolet, Margaret Hansen and Sandy Sager.

“The award and medal are given in recognition of adult and youth volunteers, including DAR members, with distinguished conservation records; businesses that exhibit sustained efforts to improve the environment or to educate the public on conservation issues; and compensated individuals who go above and beyond the requirements of their jobs,” Wilhoit said. “It is our pleasure to present this NSDAR Conservation Award and Medal to Mr. Parrish.”

In his recommendation letter to the DAR, Parks Director Scott Wyman said he could not think of anyone more deserving of the award than Parrish.

“Not only is he a local leader within the Dark Sky community, but his passion for all things Dark Sky reaches far beyond local borders,” Wyman said. “As a member of the Michiana Astronomical Society, he collaborated with Representative Aaron Miller to pass P.A. 74 recognizing Dr. Lawless Park as the first ever county owned Michigan Dark Sky Preserve. He also worked with Senator Kim LaSata to make July a Michigan Dark Sky Month. Just recently he worked with Beaver Island, Michigan leadership so they could become Internationally Dark Sky recognized. He is a member of the International Dark Association, and has given more than 100 presentations on the negative aspects of light pollution on our environment”

Parrish graciously accepted the award, and said it was another opportunity for him to honor his father’s memory.

“Having received the award from such a prestigious organization as the DAR adds a high level of honor and recognition,” he said. “But I do want to say that the award isn’t just for me. It’s for the entire parks board and our parks director, Scott Wyman. Without their support, dark skies at Lawless Park would not have been possible.”

Since earning the designation, Lawless Park has become a destination for people throughout the region to see celestial anomalies such as meteor showers and the Northern Lights, or to simply gaze at the night sky on a typical starry night.

“Slowly, the impact of dark skies at Lawless Park has begun to educate the public on the dangers of light pollution to human and environmental health,” Parrish said. “I’m a firm believer that the beauty of Mother Nature does not have to end with the setting sun. If a person had a home on Lake Michigan with a breathtaking view, they wouldn’t erect a fence to block it. Yet we do the same at night with inefficient, poorly designed lighting fixtures that waste money, harms our health, and pulls a curtain over the beauty of a star-filled sky.”

To learn more about upcoming Dark Sky events and extended hours, find “Dr. Lawless International Dark Sky Park / Michigan Dark Sky Preserve” on Facebook, or visit casscountymi.org.