Door County naturalists, Roy and Charlotte Lukes, spent their lifetimes protecting the natural beauty of the peninsula and sharing its magic through their teachings, writings, and personal charm. As “Partners in Nature,” they built the Ridges Sanctuary into a center for conservation education, research and advocacy. They educated and inspired citizens of Door County and the State through their many research efforts, lectures and nature walks, books and newspaper columns. Although Roy has passed on, Charlotte has continued to write the weekly column “Door to Nature” for the Door County Pulse.
Roy and Charlotte were also instrumental in protecting many of the county’s most scenic gems and ecologically valuable habitats. They saw their scientific research on the flora and fauna of Door County as a cornerstone to their work in conservation related education, policy and public leadership. In recognition of their lifelong collaboration, the couple received nearly thirty awards from numerous educational, literary, civic and environmental organizations.
The Wisconsin Conservation Hall of Fame Foundation (WCHF) has announced the selection of four conservation leaders for induction on April 14, 2018 at 10:00a.m. at the Sentry Theater in Stevens Point. The public is invited.
A coffee reception will be held at 9 a.m. prior to the Induction Ceremony on Saturday, April 14th at Sentry Theater in Stevens Point. Following the ceremony, there will be a luncheon at 12:30 p.m. at the Sentry World Center. The Induction Ceremony and Coffee Reception are free and open to the public. Reservations for lunch ($25 per person) may be made online or by calling Schmeeckle Reserve at 715-346-4992.
Saturday, April 14, 2018
Sentry Theater in Stevens Point
Program: 9 a.m. Coffee Reception (free)
10 a.m. Induction Ceremony (free)
12:30 p.m. Luncheon – ($25/person)
The inductees this year include a couple who have spent their lives as “Partners in Nature” protecting the natural heritage of Door County, a Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) who never retired, and an almost forgotten UW-Madison Wildlife Professor and philanthropist who contributed directly to Leopold’s Conservation Legacy.
To learn more about Roy and Charlotte Lukes, see Myles Danhausen’s article Nature Boy: The Life and Times of Roy Lukes in the Summer 2016 issue of Wisconsin People and Ideas.
What a wonderful honor for the late Roy Lukes and his wife, Charlotte.
They deserve that recognition for all their efforts in conservation.
I recalled that Wild Ones Fox Valley Area chapter had had Roy Lukes as a speaker for one of our conferences, so I wrote to Carol Niendorf Toward Harmony with Nature Program Chair. She responded, “Yes, we had Roy Lukes as a session speaker on ‘Attracting and Enjoying Wildlife’ at our first conference in 1997.”