Volunteers working to keep Herefordshire’s skies dark – helping wildlife and better stargazing – have been honored with an award.

Herefordshire is one of the least densely populated counties in England and has relatively low light pollution at night.

But Dark Skies Herefordshire aims to keep improving this and has now been recognized for its efforts.

Members of the group received the DarkSky International Bob Gent Community Leadership Award.

The team, which is supported by Herefordshire charity CPRE, is using citizen science to tackle light pollution, something the judges described as “truly exemplary”.

Founded by former county councilor Yolande Watson, Dark Skies Herefordshire works with county bodies Visit Herefordshire, Herefordshire Wildlife Trust and Wye Adapt to Climate Change Project to protect and promote Herefordshire’s dark skies and raise awareness of the problem of light pollution .

Artificial lighting at night can “interfere with the natural nocturnal patterns of people and wildlife”, Herefordshire CPRE said, with nocturnal insects particularly affected.

The Herefordshire Astronomical Society, a partner in the project, holds regular meetings in the Kindle Center in Hereford, while the recreation field in Fownhope is one of its regular observing sites.