Wisconsin Conservation Hall of Fame announces 2018 class
Four individuals will be inducted this year in the Wisconsin Conservation Hall of Fame for their significant contributions to conservation programs, projects and public understanding.
The hall's 2018 class is composed of Roy and Charlotte Lukes, George Meyer and Arlie "Bill" Schorger.
The four will be enshrined at a 10 a.m. April 14 ceremony at the Sentry Theater in Stevens Point. The public is invited.
“The inductees this year show us that conservation depends on the 'Big C’s' of cooperation, collaboration and commitment," said Joe Passineau, WCHF president, in a Thursday statement announcing the selections.
Roy Lukes (1929-2016) and Schorger (1884-1972) will be inducted posthumously.
The Lukes were a married couple who spent their lives as "partners in nature" protecting the natural heritage of Door County.
The longtime Egg Harbor residents helped build 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.
Together, the Lukes published more than 3,000 newspaper columns. Roy Lukes also wrote five books.
And Charlotte Lukes, 73, is recognized
as an expert on the mushrooms of Door County. She continues to teach classes, present programs and lead nature hikes throughout the region.
George Meyer, 70, of Madison has been one of state's most influential and highly regarded conservationists for more than three decades.
His appreciation and respect for the land and its resources began as a youth while growing up on the family farm in New Holstein.
After Meyer received an undergraduate degree from St. Norbert College and a law degree from Wisconsin, he joined the DNR in 1972.
Over the next 30 years, he worked for the agency as staff attorney (1972-'80), head of the enforcement division (1980-'93) and, most notably, as secretary (1993-2002).
During his DNR career Meyer gained a reputation for fairness and evenhandedness even as he dealt with controversial issues including treaty rights and pollution enforcement.
After retiring from the DNR in 2002, Meyer remained a conservation leader in the state. For the last 15 years he has been executive director of the Wisconsin Wildlife Federation, the state's largest conservation organization with more than 200 member groups.
Bill Schorger was a successful chemist and businessman who became best known later in life as an author, historian and conservationist.
Schorger developed a lifelong interest in nature during his childhood in Ohio and pursued his interest in wildlife research and writing for most of his adult life.
His career in chemistry, focusing on cellulose and wood, resulted in 41 patents and fueled his philanthropic interests in conservation.
In 1951 he became a professor of wildlife management at Wisconsin and devoted the rest of his life, until age 87, to his research and writing on wildlife and conservation.
Schorger authored many books, including "The Passenger Pigeon: Its Natural History and Extinction" in 1955 and "The Wild Turkey: Its History and Domestication" in 1966. The books helped advance a global concern for wildlife management, biodiversity and the new field of conservation biology.
Schorger was also co-founder of the Wisconsin Society for Ornithology, served on the Wisconsin State Conservation Commission (forerunner to the Natural Resources Board) and was president of the Wisconsin Academy of Science, Art and Letters.
Reservations for lunch ($25 per person) may be made online or by calling Schmeeckle Reserve at (715) 346-4992.
Ice fishing clinics: The 27th annual free ice fishing clinics for kids will be held Saturday at six sites in Milwaukee County.
The clinics are for youth ages 15 and under will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Participants will receive instruction on ice fishing equipment and techniques, such as knot tying and jig fishing, as well as ice safety. Some locations also offer fish cleaning and cooking demonstrations.
The clinics are a cooperative effort of the Wisconsin Council of Sport Fishing Organizations, Hunger Task Force Fish Hatchery, Milwaukee County Parks, Department of Natural Resources and local fishing clubs. No pre-registration is necessary.
The locations are Brown Deer Park: 7835 N. Green Bay Road; Dineen Park: 6901 W. Vienna St.; Humboldt Park: 3000 S. Howell Ave.; Kosciuszko Park: 2201 S. 7th St.; McCarty Park: 8214 W. Cleveland Ave.; Scout Lake: 5902 W. Loomis Road.
Pint Night: The Wisconsin chapter of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers will hold a "Pint Night" on Wednesday at O'Donoghues, 13225 Watertown Plank Road, Elm Grove. The conservation group, which has been growing nationally and established the Wisconsin chapter in 2017, is a champion of public lands. The event provides a chance to meet BHA officers and members and learn more about the group in a social atmosphere. There is no cost to attend but organizers request an RSVP before Wednesday.