Spring Ahead

—Allison Bedosky, Education Director

March may come in like a lion and go out like a lamb, but even during those rough, lion days we all have something to look forward to - Daylight Saving Time! Not only can the longer days bring about excitement for the coming summer, but they could also have some healthy effects on both us and the environment.

In addition to brightening our moods, the extended daylight can positively impact our physical health. For most of us, more daylight means more activities-children staying outdoors longer to play, taking the dog for an additional walk, and maybe getting in that workout that we were passing on while it was dark. For many of us, once the sun goes down we head indoors, but once we move our clocks ahead we can spend more time outside instead of watching television, or using other electronic devices.

Take advantage of that extra hour by heading outside!

Daylight Saving Time can also benefit the environment because many of us are using less oil. Prior to 1973, Daylight Saving Time was about six months long, but Congress decided to extend this period to eight months due to the oil crisis. The U.S. Department of Transportation determined that as a result of the longer daylight, the nation saved the equivalent in energy of 10,000 barrels of oil each day for the months of March and April. After returning to the last week of April, Daylight Saving Time was officially moved to the first week of April in 1986, saving the nation an estimated 300,000 barrels of oil each year. Daylight Savings was officially moved to the second Sunday of March in 2007, which is where we are today, saving even more oil!

Don't forget to spring ahead at 2:00 am tomorrow morning, Sunday, March 13, 2016. Enjoy the outdoors!