Door County Naturalists to Be Honored with Lifetime Achievement Award

Roy and Charlotte Lukes, Door County and Kewaunee County naturalists, will be honored with the Harold “Bud” Jordahl Lifetime Achievement Award on Sept. 25 in Madison, for their outstanding work during the past 40 years.

The award will be presented at the 12th Annual Land Conservation Leadership Awards Celebration by Gathering Waters: Wisconsin’s Alliance for Land Trusts, a statewide land conservation organization.

Roy and Charlotte have educated countless children and adults on the wonders of the natural world and the tremendous importance of protecting Wisconsin’s wild places. The couple has led hundreds of hikes in The Ridges Sanctuary, early morning bird outings and workshops for Door County residents and visitors.

Charlotte has identified more than 550 species of mushrooms in Door County and is working on putting her information into a book. Roy has been a huge part of the Door Peninsula’s educational curriculum, designed to help people better understand our area’s history, geology, plants and wildlife. He has also written more than 1,600 nature essays for area newspapers, currently for the Peninsula Pulse.

In addition to educating the public about the richness of Wisconsin’s resources and heritage through their publications, in 2000 they founded the Friends of Toft Point, a state Natural Area managed by UW-Green Bay.

It has been said that conservationists provide voices for the land itself. Roy and Charlotte Lukes have spent more than 40 years speaking for the land with eloquence, passion and commitment. They have given people the chance to form a bond with nature through the stories that they share and have been responsible for enlisting hundreds of citizens in the cause of conservation.

“One doesn’t have to look far to appreciate the wonderful conservation work that has occurred in Door County during the past couple of decades – and in every case Roy and Charlotte have had a positive influence on the people responsible for these accomplishments,” said Robert W. Howe, Ph.D., Herbert Fisk Johnson Professor of Environmental Studies.

Gathering Waters has bestowed Land Conservation Leadership Awards since 2003. The event recognizes the outstanding accomplishments of individuals, policy makers, and land trusts who are working to protect the places that make Wisconsin special. The awards honor the power of committed citizens and offer inspiring examples of conservation success.

For registration information visit gatheringwaters.org.