Where might be suitable places to install amenities in County Mayo that could showcase biodiversity during the day, and the Mayo Dark Sky at night?
This was a question Digital Nature tackled during 2020. We are now delighted to be in a position to share the results publicly.
A Multi-Criteria Evaluation was performed to identify locations that met the following conditions:
- near to a wildlife-rich or important habitat, such as open water, wetlands or estuaries
- under Dark Sky, away from fixed and mobile sources of light pollution
- near to an existing road, track or path for public accessibility and construction purposes
- not located on sloped land – to facilitate ease of public access
- not located near to busy roads (to minimize disturbance and light, noise and exhaust pollution)
- not located where the view of the sky is obstructed by local terrain – e.g. by a nearby mountain
These criteria were converted into 6 geospatial constraints and 2 geospatial factors, with appropriate weightings assigned in consultation with Ecological experts, to identify the highest-scoring sites across the county. The presence of Designated Sites was carefully considered to highlight further those locations that are not formally designated.
Data from academic, state, European, NASA and voluntary sources were successfully transformed and analysed as part of this process.
We hope that the resulting map may be of some assistance to those interested in pursuing such amenities in County Mayo.
If you are wondering where might be the best places to locate something, why not Contact Digital Nature!