Latest News

Latest News highlights recent developments to keep you informed on dark sky issues here and beyond.

Current News

April 25, 2026   Wayne Haugrud Receives Recognition

Recognition

Today, with gratitude, the Kickapoo Valley Dark Sky Initiative recognizes Wayne Haugrud, La Farge public works Manager, for his exceptional contribution and leading by example. His implementation of better outdoor lighting practices that save energy, improve visibility with reduced glare and lower light pollution are directly leading to the restoration of nighttime darkness in the Kickapoo Valley and far beyond.

Efforts to restore a naturally dark sky in the Kickapoo Valley

Kickapoo Valley residents and visitors have long valued their dark night skies and astronomy buffs have flocked to Wildcat Mountain State Park to enjoy dark skies for 40 years, sharing stargazing passions with local residents and other park visitors.  Night hiking/skiing events are some of the most popular events at Wildcat. At the Kickapoo Valley Reserve multiple evening/night time hiking events each year focus on nocturnal species and natural night sky topics.

But increasing levels of poorly controlled, excess lighting combined with increased use of LED fixtures with high blue-spectrum content have dramatically altered the night sky. Over a 30-month period centered around 2022 the light pollution over Wildcat Mountain and the Kickapoo Valley Reserve increased by 57%.

This dramatic increase was the trigger for cooperation between multiple municipalities with the Kickapoo Valley Dark Sky Initiative (KVDSI) and a determined effort to restore and improve night sky conditions in the region

The Opportunity

LED fixtures are now on the market with shielding, that allow easy adjustments of light output and with  lower color temperatures, and thus dramatically less blue content, that provide effective lighting on the ground with less glare and much lower light pollution. But the only way for those fixtures to help is if they get adopted broadly. That’s where Wayne Haugrud stepped up and made tremendously valuable contributions.

The Partnership

In early 2025, Wayne partnered with KVDSI and the Kickapoo Valley Reserve (KVR) to change the outdoor lighting at KVR, with fixtures paid for by the Friends of KVR. He installed fixtures at the La Farge village park and the emergency services building. These examples have been used in multiple presentations and publications statewide and nationally as examples to emulate and are having positive impacts far beyond the Kickapoo Valley. The energy savings and  light pollution reductions shown by those installations are serving as a catalyst for changes elsewhere. Outdoor lighting professionals at the National Park Service contacted KVDSI for advice because of these installations. Industry leaders from Toronto, Canada came to La Farge specifically to see these installations in person.

Further, he installed the first 2200K LED streetlights in La Farge. A demonstration site on Organic Way has been established that will bring lighting professional and public works officials from across the State to La Farge to learn about these products and new control options. As a direct result of those example projects in La Farge, KVDSI was able to implement 18 other lighting designs, and has subsequently worked to install this newer lighting in 10 communities.

This was all enabled because of Wayne’s initial engagement, and has led to opportunities with public lighting stakeholders across Wisconsin. KVDSI is now engaged with electric utilities, city planners, department of transportation officials, and city administrators from Bayfield to Milwaukee, from Eau Claire to La Crosse, in Madison, Middleton, Verona and more than a dozen other communities and townships. We are working closely with multiple entities in other states from Minnesota and Iowa to Ohio and New Jersey.

April 20, 2026   Sky Brightness Monitoring Grant

Alliant Energy has awarded KVDSI a $1650 grant to build DIY sky brightness monitors.  These monitors will be used to create a network of measuring tools to assess current levels of light pollution and track results of our efforts to reduce light pollution in the region.  In addition, this program will offer regional high school students a unique STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) project which will allow them to directly  engage in an activities that will make a positive difference in addressing  light pollution, one of many environmental challenges their generation faces.   

We thank Alliant for this grant and for their ongoing commitment to making a positive difference in the communities where Alliant Energy employees, retirees and customers live and work.

Schools and individuals who would like to participate in this important project can reach out to us at info@4darkskies.org.

Past News

January 5, 2026

Eau Claire, WI adopted a new outdoor lighting ordinance in October 2025. Middleton, WI and Sheboygan, WI Planning Commissions have approved and forwarded to their respective city councils new outdoor lighting ordinances for consideration this month. All three limit fixture types, illumination levels, correlated color temperature and light trespass.    (back)

December 2025 KVDSI Accomplishments and 2026 Look-ahead

This letter is an overview of our activities and accomplishments during 2025 and our plans for 2026.

Kickapoo Valley Dark Skies Initiative has been active in raising awareness of nighttime light pollution issues and in promoting solutions to this problem in the Kickapoo Valley and beyond.  Your support means a lot to us and so we’d like to share KVDSI’s accomplishments with you.

We have been busy. Since we received our non-profit status in December 2024 our organization has…

Made 9 presentations to professionals involved in community planning, lighting design and installation to assist these professionals in reducing nighttime light pollution in their work.

Performed lighting designs for 18 projects.

Produced 12 episodes of Kickapoo Night Life on WDRT radio (91.9fm) which introduces listeners to topics pertaining to astronomy, light pollution and its effects on the environment and health.

Produced a weekly newspaper column, Seeing Stars, about dark sky topics, published in 3 local papers.

Presented on artificial light at night, light pollution and dark sky topics at 22 local libraries and organizations.

Collaborated in an effort between 4 different groups on ways to raise awareness of how artificial light at night is a threat to migrating birds.

Helped local businesses in evaluating lighting issues and proposing solutions to save money and light pollution. 

Worked with officials and staff in 3 local communities to choose and/or install zero uplight, warm color temperature lighting.

Provided expertise to help 3 communities across Wisconsin to review current ordinances regarding nighttime lighting and make adjustments as needed.

Assessed public (street) lighting in 5 local communities and assisted these communities to improve existing lighting, resulting in decreased energy use, costs, and light pollution.

Created a website which offers both background information and useful tools to professionals and individuals interested in making good outdoor lighting choices.

Serving on 3 different statewide, national or international organizations to help reduce artificial light at night and the environmental risks it poses. 

Performed a study regarding color temperature of LED lighting and how that affects security cameras.

Hosted a week of educational activities in April.

Provided information for 3 newsletters and magazine articles. 

Invited the public to participate in 9 dark sky walks at local public lands.

Attended 4 professional conferences related to lighting.

Interfaced with 6 lighting manufacturers, 3 lighting distributors and 3 area retailers to try to expand dark sky appropriate residential and commercial lighting options.

Moving forward in 2026, many of the above projects are ongoing. We also are preparing for the following projects:

KVDSI will sponsor and lead at least two Natural Resource Foundation field trips to teach others how they can replicate our efforts in their own communities.

We are creating video content for our outreach efforts.

We are developing outdoor lighting research projects.

We are developing training materials for educators, businesses, professionals and municipalities to be able to plan and implement good lighting on their own.

We are developing part time intern positions to allow us to expand our outreach.

We thank you for your past support of our efforts.  

We stand ready to share our knowledge and expertise with those who want to reduce light pollution.  

Most of all, we ask you to join with us to make our skies darker, healthier and even more star-studded.  We are doing a lot, but so much more needs to be done and time is a critical factor.  Each time a poor outdoor lighting choice is made, the effects of that choice are likely to increase light pollution for 10-15 years in the future.  On the flip side, making an appropriate lighting choice has the potential to decrease light pollution significantly, save money, reduce the environmental impact of artificial light at night and may even improve human health.  You don't have to be an expert, you just have to have a willingness to devote some of your time and talents to help us raise awareness and let people know that light pollution is an easy problem to fix by making the right lighting choices.

We’d love to see you in 2026, maybe on a night walk, or in any of our endeavors. And remember to turn off your lights, go outside and look at the stars!

KDVSI Board of Directors

Scott Lind - President     Marla Lind - Vice President                                            

Susan Cushing – Secretary    Don Rauls - Treasurer

Carol Wesley - Director     Bruce Wendt - Director    (back)