ST. LOUIS — The St. Louis skyline will look a little less bright this May. The National Park Service will turn off the exterior lights at the Gateway Arch for two weeks.
From May 1-14 The Arch won't be illuminated at night due to spring bird migration season.
“Every spring and fall, we turn off the Gateway Arch’s exterior lights for two weeks in an effort to minimize the possible disorienting effect the lights may have on birds that migrate at night,” said Jeremy Sweat, Superintendent of Gateway Arch National Park, in a release.
"This is an operational decision based on science."
The National Park Service said about 40% of the nation's migratory waterfowl use the Mississippi River corridor every spring and fall.
"Each year billions of wild birds migrate at night, and light pollution causes disorientation, collisions with buildings, and interferes with their ability to endure long distance migrations,” Karen Trevino, director of the National Park Service’s Natural Sounds and Night Skies Program said.
The lights will go back on starting the night of Saturday, May 15. The Gateway Arch will be lit nightly after that.
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