Wisconsin and Daylight Savings

Mornin' to everyone raking leaves, cutting the grass, and shoveling the driveway this week (maybe all three). This is the Wiscampsin Weekly - the email that gets you in the know on the Wisconsin outdoors in 5 minutes or less. New reader? Subscribe here.

*Psst. We got a few Wiscampsin License Plate Holders and Recycled Coffee Grounds Coffee Mugs available. Give 'em a gander here.

What we're setting the alarm for this week:

• Daylight Savings Time ☀️

• DNR Poster Contest Now Open 🦊 

• Accessing the Apostle Islands 🛶 

Wisconsin and Daylight Saving's

Ah. Daylight Savings.

A phenomenon when, twice a year, we either 1) show up an hour late for work or 2) show up an hour early for work (not sure which is worse, to tell the truth).

Garnering support for multiple reasons in the US, Daylight Savings has been a bit of a contentious mechanism for quite some time. Some people hate it - looking at you, Arizona - while others, typically the outdoorsy among us, love it.

To put it plainly, it was designed to better align the sunrise and sunsets with normal "waking" hours.

Regardless, it's happening on Sunday, so you here's your unofficial guide (and reminder) to the how and why behind Daylight Savings.

Daylight Savings

• Happens twice a year: The first Sunday in November and second Sunday in March

• Originally developed during WWI to help win the war

• Disliked by dairy farmers due to its affect on dairy cows

Time - who needs it?

Ya see, before we get to the gooey, cheesy center of this curd-of-a-topic, you gotta understand a thing or two about time.

There once was a time when, well, there was no time. You simply woke with the sun and went about your day, fearing predators and rival cavemen at your leisure. When things got dark, you slapped your knee and said Well, I s'pose and meandered back to your dwelling to go to sleep.

But as soon as continental railroads were developed, we needed a standardized time to coordinate schedules and deliveries (Milwaukee had a lot of beer to ship).

Thus, the four standard times were created in the US.

WWI, dairy farmers, and Daylight Savings

During WWI, the US Government made Daylight Savings a national mandate as a way to save fuel for the war effort.

But for Wisconsin's dairy farmers, it was bad news cows. Literally. They argued that changing the clocks all willy-nilly was hard on the cows, as they were used to being milked at the same time each day.

Ultimately, Daylight Savings was put to the people, and in April of 1957, the Wisconsin referendum was voted in favor 578,661 to 480,656.

The argument for Daylight Savings

It's pretty simple. In the winter time, we lose a lot of sunlight compared to the summer (up to about one-third!). Daylight Savings helps us squeeze the most out of our sunless days by aligning the sunrise with normal waking hours.

For the romantics among us, you might even notice that winter sunrises are somewhat prettier than summer sunrises, and Daylight Savings makes it easier to catch 'em.

This is due to the cleaner air we have in the winter. As air circulation is a bit sluggish in the summer, more dust, smog and haze can subdue the sunrise. With crisp, cool air, the twilight hours make for more vibrant colors. If your eyeballs don't freeze shut, that is!

All opposed, say nay

Many think there's no reason for Daylight Savings anymore, as we really don't rely on the sunrise for farming, etc.

There's also another reason to shut it down, and it's as Wisconsin as it gets - collisions with deer.

Deer move about most during sunrise and sunset. When we change our clocks to align our morning commutes with the rising sun, we run the risk of collisions with these active animals. We said, watch out for deer!

In fact, more than 3x the average amount of deer collisions happen during November (more in any month by 33%).

Regardless of how you feel about Daylight Savings, you gotta respect the effort to make the most of our dwindling sunlight. For now, it looks like you'll be getting an extra hour of sleep on Sunday. Use it to get outside for a sunrise hike or rake your neigbor's leaves.

Just as long as you get out 'der!

NEW: Wiscampsin Weekly Poll

Last week an overwhelming majority of you said the beginning of Up Nort' was when you start seeing those Adult Video billboards. Real mature, folks.

Nuts and Seeds 🌰 

🦊 Keep wildlife erm, wild: Novel concept, eh! To remind folks not to feed cheese curds and Miller to the raccoons, the DNR is hosting a Keep Wildlife Wild poster contest. Students in the fourth, fifth, and sixth grades in Wisconsin schools are eligible to enter.

🛶 Accessing the Apostle Islands: ...can be a real doozy. To get down to the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore (Meyers Beach access), you have to walk 45 steps leading down a 23-foot sandbank. For those with disabilities, it's a real challenge. But the Friends of the Apostle Islands group plans to raise $325,0000 by next year to build a 500-foot ramp to the beach. Come one, come all.

🍁 $15.5 million for land conservation: The Natural Resources Board just signed off on a $15.5M acquisition of more than 56,000 acres of Wisconsin northwoods. Along with rolling hils, mature woods, and wetland along the Wolf River, the land boasts excellent road access for hiking and hunting. Let's hear it for conservation.

Meme of the Week - We know, they're comin'!

A review from the Trail... Would take couple two-tree beers to try and milk a Hodag, to be honest...