Nacht van de nacht

IVN Laarbeek offers a unique walk around Croy Castle.

This walk starts from the parking lot at the end of Croy Castle's driveway. The walk takes approximately 1.5 to 2 hours. Under the guidance of experienced guides, participants will experience how dark it used to be, before streetlights, neon signs, and brightly lit houses. So don't bring a flashlight! Although Croy is still pleasantly dark, the glow of the surrounding areas can also be seen during the walk. Along the way, there's a break in a barn, where the guides will share an exciting story.

This walk is part of the national "Night of the Night" initiative, where walks in the dark are organized at various locations to raise awareness of light pollution. Artificial lighting has a significant impact on nature. Many nocturnal animals, such as bats, owls, and mice, depend on natural darkness for hunting, breeding, and orientation. Artificial light can disrupt their behavior, affecting their feeding patterns and reproductive success.

During their long journeys, migratory birds use the moon and stars to navigate. Light pollution can disrupt their orientation, leading to exhaustion, collisions with buildings, and even death.
Insects like moths are attracted to artificial light sources, which disrupts their natural behavior, such as foraging or finding mates. This can lead to declining insect populations and also impacts the animals that depend on them, such as birds and bats.