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Wildlife Lighting: Is wildlife safety a concern?

Did you know that not only light pollution, but using the incorrect LED lights has a significant negative impact on many types of wildlife? For many decades, artificial light negatively impacted wildlife by disrupting their natural behavior and killing or injuring thousands of migrating birds, sea turtles, and other reptiles, amphibians, mammals, and invertebrates. Researchers have found that there are certain types of LED lights which can be harmful towards a wide variety of wildlife, thereby making a case for the potential hazards that are incurred due to the rising usage of these lights. The research, which was carried out by the University of Southern California and published in the Journal of Experimental Zoology Part A: Ecological and Integrative Physiology, concluded that both blue and white LED lights are the most harmful to wildlife, particularly animals such as insects and sea turtles. While amber, green, and yellow LEDs are more favorable for wildlife. The researchers took into cognizance the existing ecological data and examined the impacts of different kinds of LED lights on animals such as insects, sea turtles, salmon and seabirds. The characteristics of artificial lighting draw animals, like turtles and frogs, to potentially dangerous areas like roads and commercial buildings.

When the correct LED lighting is installed, animals can't see the light, and aren't drawn to buildings, bollards, or parking lots because the light emission is almost invisible to them. Genesis One Lighting has wildlife-friendly lighting available for urban areas as well as for game rich environments. The lighting range covers bollards, wall packs, post top lights, and area lighting such as LED flood lights, garage lights, etc. Using an extremely long wavelength at 560 nanometers, the LED appears amber or red, which will prevent sea turtle and other wildlife disorientation and safeguard human health. Nocturnal animals won't be bothered by these types of lights. Additionally, if you live close to a coastal or wildlife area, the correct LED lights won't disorientate them into a direction they don't want to go.

Using these lights, game farms, wildlife sanctuaries and the like, will contribute to wildlife health.


A typical example of these lights can be seen in the image below.


Three key criteria for wildlife lighting: 1. Keep It Low

Mount the fixture as low as possible and use the lowest wattage necessary for the needed purpose.




2. Keep It Long

Use long wavelength (greater than 560 nm) light sources such as amber LEDs.

3. Keep It Shielded

Use fixtures that meet or exceed full cutoff that shield lamps or glowing lenses from being directly visible.





For more information, please contact our office at sales@genesisone.co.za www,genesisone.co.za

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