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Mornin’ and our fondest goodbye to the boat that was finally towed away after being abandoned on Beer Can Island. 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.

This week’s weekly:

❄️ DNR ranks Wisconsin’s 24-25 winter

🏆 Milwaukee/Madison parks rank top 20 across nation

🌼 Milkweed named ‘Plant Species of the Year’

🤿 STORY OF THE WEEK: The Wild, Record-Breaking Life of Wisconsin’s Underwater Daredevil

❄️ DNR ranks Wisconsin’s 24-25 winter LINK

• Wisconsin’s Winter 2024–25 registered as mild on the DNR’s Winter Severity Index, with an average score of 32, indicating low snow depth and relatively warm temperatures across the season.

• The mild winter contributed to high deer survival rates, prompting the DNR to consider increased antlerless harvest quotas for the 2025 hunting season to manage growing populations.

• Values less than 50 are considered mild. zooming out, the WSI of 10 in 2023-24 and makes five mild and five moderate winters over the last 10 years.

🏆 Milwaukee/Madison parks rank top 20 across nation LINK

• Milwaukee and Madison parks cracked the top 20 nationwide, with walkable green space, splash pads, and dog parks earning them serious street (and trail) cred.

• Equity’s still a work in progress—low-income and majority nonwhite neighborhoods in both cities have far less park space per person than their more affluent, whiter counterparts.

• Despite budget gaps and room to grow, parks remain the great political unifier—turns out both Harris and Trump voters agree: fresh air and a good picnic table are hard to beat.

 🌼 Milkweed named ‘Plant Species of the Year’ LINK

• Milkweed just got crowned Wisconsin’s “Plant of the Year”—not for its looks, but because it’s the exclusive nursery and caterer for monarch butterflies.

• With monarch populations still down 80%, experts say planting milkweed is the easiest way to help—whether you’ve got a shady yard, a sunny patch, or just a decent flowerpot.

• Communities like Elm Grove are going all-in, with over 300 milkweed-friendly homes already mapped and a mission to turn yards into butterfly havens, one silky seed pod at a time.

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WISCAMPSIN WEEKLY POLL

Kayak dominated with 70% of the votes in last weeks poll of preferred paddle vessel: Canoe vs Kayak

MEME OF THE WEEK 😂

A review from the trail… Let’s put it up to a vote - if you think we eliminate the memes, write it in the reviews below!