Special Outreach Missions for the Region

We are dedicated to get and give away as many telescopes and binoculars that we can get through donations and society purchases. We strive to give away as many  free telescopes as we can give away in remote locations and  areas of the Ozarks. Schools and libraries can benefit from owning a telescope to educate the public on astronomy and have a lending program. A lot of Veterans are in need of a telescope to literally give them "focus" and help them deal with their service connected disabilities. We need as many telescopes and binoculars that we can get donated, so think about donating a telescope or making a donation to enable us to purchase more for distribution.

We are dedicated to having as many camping events and  outings as possable throughout the year.  We are planning on having  at least 4 weekend camping events per year and during the different seasons to not only celebrate a holiday, but also to align with the Spring and Winter equinoxes, and the Summer and Fall soltice astronomical events. These events will include training a certification courses, night sky telescope viewing, youth activities, contest and raffles , and evening movies and lectures. Stay tuned for a scheduled event in your area of the Ozarks by checking out our news often.

Our "ASO Logo" is made up from elements of the Ozark mountains, the Ozark National Forest, a log cabin that is a natural landmark of the Ozarks and our home, with a fire burning to keep members warm and feel welcome, an observatory on top of the mountain that signifies the future of astronomical sciences in the Ozarks, and a landscape with trees are meant to resemble the ozark regions natural beauty. The telescope faces to the south and points to home, the sun sets on the west side, with darkness approching on the east side, and a field of stars adorn the night sky for viewing. Our members patch shown above, is made by A & B Emblem who also  make all of the NASA mission patches for the astronauts. 

Our "Dark Sky Ranger" Corps are made up of young dark sky advocates  who are outreach ambassadors and who also want to protect our "Ozark Natural Skies". They also hand out outreach materials to the public, are useful at events to park cars, protect against light pollution from guest and their vehicles lights, provide information to the public, give directions, assit members and guest, and provide security for events. All youth are supervised by adults at every event . We also plan to teach them to pass their Red Cross First Aid/CPR/AED certifications in the near future so they can also contribute to the community as first responders.