When you think about national park and public land astronomy programs, you might picture remote locations far from city lights. But a recent NASA Earth to Sky training, funded by NASA’s Science Activation Program, challenges that assumption, demonstrating how urban parks, wildlife refuges, museums, and green spaces can be incredible venues for connecting communities with space science. Programs facilitated in urban spaces can reach people where they already live, work, and recreate. This creates opportunities for ongoing engagement as urban astronomy program participants can discover that the skies above their neighborhoods hold the same wonders as remote locations.
当您想到国家公园和公共陆地天文学项目时，您可能会想到远离城市灯光的偏远地区。但最近由美国宇航局科学激活计划资助的美国宇航局地球到天空培训挑战了这一假设，展示了城市公园、野生动物保护区、博物馆和绿地如何成为连接社区与空间科学的令人难以置信的场所。在城市空间中推动的项目可以惠及人们已经生活、工作和休闲的地方。这为持续参与创造了机会，因为城市天文学项目参与者可以发现他们社区的上空拥有与偏远地区相同的奇迹。
During the first week of August in 2025, NASA Earth to Sky collaborated with the National Park Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to deliver an innovative astronomy training program called “Rivers of Stars and Stories: Interpreting the Northern Night Sky” at Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge in Minneapolis-St. Paul. This three-day course brought together 28 park ranger interpreters, environmental educators, and outdoor communicators from across the Twin Cities area. Presentations and discussions centered around engaging urban audiences with the wonders of space science by leveraging the benefits of metropolitan spaces and the unique opportunities that city skies provide.
2025 年 8 月的第一周，NASA Earth to Sky 与国家公园管理局以及美国鱼类和野生动物管理局合作，在明尼阿波利斯-圣路易斯的明尼苏达谷国家野生动物保护区举办了一项名为“星星和故事之河：解读北方夜空”的创新天文学培训项目。保罗.这个为期三天的课程汇集了来自双城地区的 28 名公园管理员口译员、环境教育工作者和户外传播者。演讲和讨论的重点是利用大都市空间的优势和城市天空提供的独特机会，让城市观众了解空间科学的奇迹。
Throughout this immersive training, participants explored everything from lunar observations and aurora science to NASA’s Artemis Program and astrobiology. The training empowered participants by affirming that everyone is an effective stargazer and night sky storyteller, transforming beginners into confident astronomy communicators. One participant captured their experience by noting they went from “not knowing much of anything to having a much better grasp on basic concepts and most importantly, where to find more resources!” In addition to sharing resources, this training also launched a community of practice where communicators can continue to collaborate. Participants engaged in discussions on how to respectfully incorporate the local indigenous perspectives into astronomy programming and honor the traditional stewards of the land while avoiding appropriation or misrepresentation of indigenous science.
在整个沉浸式培训中，参与者探索了从月球观测和极光科学到美国宇航局阿耳忒弥斯计划和天体生物学的一切内容。培训通过确认每个人都是有效的观星者和夜空故事讲述者来增强参与者的能力，将初学者转变为自信的天文学传播者。一位参与者记录了他们的经历，指出他们从“对任何事情一无所知到更好地掌握基本概念，最重要的是，在哪里可以找到更多资源！”除了共享资源之外，本次培训还推出了实践社区，让传播者可以继续协作。与会者讨论了如何尊重地将当地土著观点纳入天文学规划并尊重土地的传统管理者，同时避免盗用或歪曲土著科学。
The course also created a lasting community connection to NASA through presentations by NASA experts and demonstrations of NASA activity toolkits. As one participant noted in the evaluation, “This is just the start of a long learning journey, but I know now where to look and how to find answers.” Toolkits and resources shared included GLOBE (Global Learning & Observation to Benefit the Environment) Observer’s NUBE (cloud) game , Our Dynamic Sun by the NASA Heliophysics Education Activation Team (HEAT) and the Night Sky Network, the Aurorasaurus Citizen Science project , and the local Solar System Ambassador Network.
该课程还通过 NASA 专家的演讲和 NASA 活动工具包的演示，与 NASA 建立了持久的社区联系。正如一位参与者在评估中指出的那样，“这只是漫长学习之旅的开始，但我现在知道该去哪里寻找以及如何找到答案。”共享的工具包和资源包括 GLOBE（有益于环境的全球学习和观察）观察者的 NUBE（云）游戏、NASA 太阳物理学教育激活团队 (HEAT) 的我们的动态太阳和夜空网络、极光公民科学项目以及当地的太阳系大使网络。
Participants’ sense of belonging to the Earth to Sky community increased dramatically. These outcomes support NASA’s strategic goal of building sustained public engagement with Earth and space science. The overwhelmingly positive feedback, with 100% of participants expressing interest in taking more courses like this, demonstrates the tremendous value it is for Earth to Sky to collaborate with the National Park Service and US Fish and Wildlife Service, as all agencies’ public communication goals are addressed.
参与者对地球到天空社区的归属感急剧增强。这些成果支持 NASA 建立公众持续参与地球和空间科学的战略目标。压倒性的积极反馈，100% 的参与者表示有兴趣参加更多这样的课程，这表明 Earth to Sky 与国家公园管理局和美国鱼类和野生动物管理局合作的巨大价值，因为所有机构的公共沟通目标都得到了解决。
This kind of collaborative work is crucial because it builds a network of science communicators who can reach thousands of visitors across Minneapolis-St. Paul’s parks, nature centers, and outdoor spaces. By training local informal educators to confidently share NASA’s discoveries and missions, the program expands access to space science for urban audiences throughout the Twin Cities region.
这种协作工作至关重要，因为它建立了一个科学传播者网络，可以覆盖明尼阿波利斯-圣路易斯的数千名游客。圣保罗的公园、自然中心和户外空间。通过培训当地非正式教育工作者自信地分享 NASA 的发现和任务，该计划扩大了双城地区城市受众接触空间科学的机会。
The Earth to Sky team will continue fostering these valuable partnerships with the National Park Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, as well as other state and local agencies and nonprofit organizations. Learn more about Earth to Sky’s work with park interpreters and nonformal educators to share NASA space science by visiting: https://science.nasa.gov/sciact-team/earth-to-sky/
Earth to Sky 团队将继续与国家公园管理局、美国鱼类和野生动物管理局以及其他州和地方机构以及非营利组织建立这些宝贵的合作伙伴关系。了解更多关于 Earth to Sky 与公园讲解员和非正规教育工作者合作分享 NASA 空间科学的信息，请访问：https://science.nasa.gov/sciact-team/earth-to-sky/
Learn more about how Science Activation connects NASA science experts, real content, and experiences with community leaders to do science in ways that activate minds and promote deeper understanding of our world and beyond: https://science.nasa.gov/learn/about-science-activation/ .
详细了解 Science Activation 如何将 NASA 科学专家、真实内容和经验与社区领袖联系起来，以激活思维并促进对我们的世界及其他世界更深入了解的方式开展科学研究：https://science.nasa.gov/learn/about-science-activation/。