A Sky Full of Wonders – Guiding Under the Stars

Date: May 12th, 2026

Time: 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm (Mountain Time)

Location: Virtual over Zoom Meetings

PD Hours: 1.5 hours

Professional Interpreter Elective: Not eligible

Instructor: Monika Deviat

Members Price: $25.00 Non-members Price: $35.00

About This Workshop:

Darkness and starlight open a new world, one that encourages a completely different way of seeing and understanding nature. The night sky is full of wonders that most of the world’s population can no longer see because they live under light-polluted skies. As a guide, you have the rare opportunity to help people experience something they have purposefully travelled to see, or show them something they may not even know they were missing.

Monika will walk you through what you can actually see in a dark sky and how to find it, such as the Milky Way, Aurora Borealis, constellations, and meteor showers. Planning is an important part of dark sky guiding - knowing how to find dark skies, the weather of your location, what night sky objects you can see at certain latitudes or times of year, the moon cycle, and more. In this presentation, you’ll get resources to help you with planning and understanding the night sky. You'll learn about night vision, how to practice good night etiquette with your groups, and get tips and information to assist you with storytelling and building interpretive programs that make the night sky more meaningful and memorable. Monika is passionate about dark sky preservation and believes guides are uniquely positioned to share the importance of protecting darkness through the simple act of looking up together.

By the end of this workshop, participants will:
1. Reliably locate dark sky phenomenon
2. Learn what tools are useful for planning ahead when incorporating dark sky elements to guided tours or personal recreation
3. Take away stories and facts that are ready to be built into their own knowledge or guide's programming

[caption id="attachment_383684" align="alignnone" width="622"] Photo: Monika Deviat, Prince Edward Island[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_383685" align="alignnone" width="1400"] Photo: Monika Deviat, Waterton, Milky Way[/caption]

About Monika Deviat:

Monika Deviat is an award-winning photographer and Nikon Canada Ambassador based in Alberta, Canada. She is not just a photographer, though. Monika is a metalhead, speaker and educator, pole and aerial athlete and instructor, hiking guide, and non-practicing physicist.

Her photography career started in darkness with concert and event photography. In 2015, Monika shifted from shooting stars on stage to stars in the sky. Night photography became her favourite genre, and it goes hand in hand with her landscape and adventure images. Monika doesn't just document moments, she immerses herself in them, often venturing into the wildest, darkest, and most challenging environments to bring back awe-inspiring photos. Monika's photography does not fit into a single niche and she shows her versatility, technical skills, and creative eye across multiple photography genres.

Her work has appeared in various books and publications, including Canadian Geographic, The Backyard Astronomer's Guide, BBC Sky at Night Magazine, and CNN.com. Beyond photography, Monika is an engaging educator and speaker, leading workshops that blend knowledge-sharing with memorable experiences. Some of her current projects focus on dark sky preservation, and she has recently presented a BBC radio documentary, Licence to Operate a Space Object, exploring the impact of light pollution on our night skies.

Cancellation/Refund policy:

Refund policy: Refunds will not be issued for this event, and fees are not transferable between courses/workshops. Please note that our events and workshops are not recorded. You must be available to attend and participate in the workshop. Please visit our cancellation/refund policy for more information.