From the mushrooms growing near your feet to the birds flying over your head, it is all a part of the Door County environment naturalist Charlotte Lukes adores. In addition to helping in the creation of The Ridges Sanctuary in Baileys Harbor, Lukes and her husband Roy played large roles in the protection of other Door County ecological highlights like Toft’s Point, Newport State Park, Whitefish Dunes, Mink River Estuary, and Moonlight Bay. One of Lukes’ biggest contributions may be in fungi research, identifying more than 600 species of mushrooms in her career as a naturalist. The thing she is most proud of, however, is inspiring other residents and visitors to participate in “citizen science” and getting them involved with flora and fauna located just outside their doors.

Lukes and her husband were inducted into the Wisconsin Conservation Hall of Fame in 2018. The couple also received recognition from the Gathering Waters Conservancy, the Wisconsin Society of Ornithology, the Nature Conservancy, and the UWGB Center for Biodiversity. You can listen to our full interview with Lukes below.

Picture courtesy of Crossroads at Big Creek