I had the privilege of growing up in a quiet mountain village where children in the evening could sit on the street, still warm from the sun, and look at a dark blue sky full of stars. I loved starry nights, even more when I was lucky enough to see a shooting star or fireflies. Today, reading an article on Mount Ainos and its entry in the IDSP (International Dark Site Park) register, I realized that, although I have grown up and I am in a place totally different from the one I was born in, I am still among the lucky few who in Summer can admire incredible starry nights (as well as bats, birds and other wonderful creatures that populate the night) simply by raising their eyes to the sky. Although in many places today it is no longer possible to clearly see the stars and constellations due to light pollution, throughout the world there are parks certified by the NGO International Dark-Sky Association which are committed to conserving and safeguarding the natural darkness of sky and with it to protect the environments and species closely linked to it.