NESTy in “The Land of Enchantment” – A Field Research Experience

The NEST was a fun and efficient home as I researched Dark Sky Conservation across New Mexico’s different cities, towns, and national parks for the fieldwork portion of my MSc in Environmental Anthropology! 

I remember stepping outside of my Airstream NEST into the cool breeze and finding comfort in the nighttime silence. I grew mesmerized as my eyes adapted to the deep darkness, and the landscape was transformed by the light of what seemed an infinite number of stars. I had never seen anything like it.

My research adventure began in May 2019, when I started using the Airstream NEST – known fondly to me as NESTy. For six weeks, I traveled around New Mexico, known for its dark starry skies and expansive landscapes, and lived the “NEST Life” to complete ethnographic fieldwork for my MSc in Environmental Anthropology. Environmental anthropology is the study of human-environment relationships and interactions on the socio-cultural, economic, evolutionary, and ecological dimension. I decided to use my training in environmental anthropology to study the dark sky conservation movement in New Mexico. I looked at dark sky conservation as an emerging environmental movement and used qualitative research methodologies to understand why people become involved and how they act to conserve the night sky. Throughout human history, the night sky has been used as a navigation system, served as inspiration for cultures and religions, and driven scientific curiosity and discovery. However, the development of artificial lighting at night has drastically changed the relationship between humans and the night sky as one-third of humanity is no longer able to see our galaxy the Milky Way. Using the NEST, I was able to efficiently and safely navigate New Mexico and talk to various stakeholders involved in the Dark Sky movement. I learned how dark sky conservation and the reduction of light pollution have important implications for more than astronomical research and enjoyment. These include wildlife conservation, the protection of cultural heritage, human and ecological health, and philosophical questions including what it means to be human.

              Map of locations visited throughout New Mexico. Numbers correspond with order visited from May 4th —June 16th, 2019. 1. Magdalena, 2. Valle de Oro Wildlife Refuge, 3. Chaco Canyon, 4. Clayton Lake State Park, 5. Salinas Missions Abo Ruins, 6. Capulin Volcano, 7. NM Museum of Space History, 8. NM Skies Observatories, 9. Las Cruces, 10. Santa Fe. The time in each research location varied from 2 or 3 days to 1 week.

I landed in Albuquerque, NM on May 4th, 2019 and immediately headed to Holiday Travel Trailers to learn how to be a good NEST owner, they were so helpful. After two hours of training, and with shoulders kissed by the New Mexico sun, I was headed to the first RV site for the night to practice everything I had just learned. The first time I towed the NEST I remember thinking…“what am I getting myself into”! Nevertheless, being a student with limited time for fieldwork and a strict schedule, it was important to embrace everything about NEST life. I later learned this included the “fun” of perfecting how to properly use dump stations and discovered that backing up with an RV is a lot more difficult than it looks. 

Over the next six weeks, NESTy and I could travel in safety and comfort to all fieldsites. I was particularly impressed with how well the NEST towed on the washboard roads leading into Chaco Canyon National Historical Park and how pleasant boondocking was! Especially when downtime was spent making gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches and soup on the stovetop, playing cards on the table inside, and reading under the shade of the side awning. The NEST proved to be better than a hotel, motel, or tent, because it provided the flexibility to perform multi-sited fieldwork on the go. Given my interest in Dark Sky conservation, it was also a bonus that NESTy had panoramic window views and a skylight so most nights I was falling asleep under the natural nightlight of the moon.

While I learned a tremendous amount about NEST life on the roads of New Mexico, the most fascinating things I learned were from locals on the ground as I heard about firsthand accounts of dark sky conservation. I learned that dark sky conservationists are motivated to conserve the night sky because they see the night sky as 1) an integral part of nature, 2) a source of perspective for humanity, and 3) an ancient source of beauty which is culturally integral to our environment. These are the main motivators for why dark sky conservationists work to enforce technical solutions to light pollution, such as implementing lighting legislation, and experiential approaches, including creating opportunities for people to learn about and experience the night sky.