Th e Door County Environmental Council News June 2017 “ e mission of the Door County Environmental Council is to advocate for the protection and preservation of Earth’s natural resources for all its inhabitants and future generations.” Published Quarterly. Copyright © 2017 by the Door County Environmental Council, PO Box 114, Fish Creek, WI 54212 Four Giants Captured in Sevastopol Tuesday, April 25, 2017 to Door County in June 1972 after marrying her wonderful husband, Roy Lukes, and our of Door County’s Environmental together they began their lives being the FGiants were captured on video and naturalists for the Ridges Sanctuary in televised on the Sevastopol television Bailey’s Harbor. Together they worked station in a rare historical event during Door by leading hikes, writing newsletters and County’s Earth Week Celebration. Charlotte participating in many other environmental Lukes, George Evenson, Carl Scholz, and events around the area. They supported Jerry Viste were summoned to attend the groups with donations and volunteerism to Earth Week Green Door Legacy Round help in the many environmental endeavors. Table event. The historical event, moderated In 1993 Charlotte and Roy started their by Mr. Mike Madden, was an attempt own nature classes out of their home until to document the environmental deeds of 2005. They enjoyed teaching about local these great people and to pass on their geology, mushrooms, flowers, birds, trees, environmental legacy to and had a lot of fun our younger generation. with group adventures to Washington Island The forum began at 7pm and Rock Island. They with Mike Madden asking built their home with the the participants to tell the environmental concepts audience a little bit about of earth berm and solar themselves. A summary energy principles. Often of their responses follows fielding phone calls at below: home, Roy was always Mike Madden, Jerry Viste, Carl Scholz, a teacher and enjoyed Charlotte Lukes moved Charlotte Lukes, and George Evenson helping others learn. 1 Charlotte is Door County’s mushroom on it, go stand on that sometime, particularly expert and is the Door County coordinator on a clear day so you can see across for the Bluebird Restoration Program of Sevastopol...Stand there and meditate and Wisconsin. She also helps other cavity see it as if you were the first person to come nesters such as tree swallows, house wrens, to that spot and see those gorgeous forests... and chickadees. As you drive down from the escarpment you see the fertile fields of farmers who Unfortunately, Roy passed away at the age have taken and are taking good care of the of 86 on June 26, 2016, and he is sorely land. So when you think of what people can missed in Door County. However, Charlotte do, think of what people can do to help the continues to share his past work with us environment. When people get together they through the reprinting of many publications can do marvelous things and I think we can that he created in his lifetime, and we thank do marvelous things.” her for that. Jerry Viste grew up on a farm that was George Evenson was a farmer in Door homesteaded in 1877 by his great uncle, County and is presently the president Chris Johnson. After he graduated from of the Door County Historical Society. high school he applied to the Milwaukee George boasts being 89 1/2 years old and School of Engineering, but family members having the opportunity to connect the past convinced him to go to school to become to the present. He sees the changes that a teacher. His first teaching job was in Door County has and is going through 1953 in a one room school house in West and reminds us that everyone has the right Jacksonport with 49 students. If one more to clean water and pure air, “These are student was added, the district would have our rights and they need to be protected had to build a second room to make a two today more than ever before.” He said, room schoolhouse and hire a second teacher. “If somebody had plucked me out of this The townspeople watched very closely that world 50 years ago and brought me back no one else moved into the school district! today, I would have to say I don’t think this Jerry said, “You want to know about stress? [DC] is the same place. Of course, there I invented it!” would be people gone, but things change and things change a lot.” He encouraged Jerry was later drafted into the army. everyone listening that night to take a little However, his brother died in an accident drive on Dunn Road (County P) starting and he was released from the army to go at Bayshore Drive (County B) going east take care of the farm, which he eventually through the town of Institute until it meets inherited. He got married, had five children, Ploor Road. “I think this is one of the most and grew his farm to 400 acres. Then beautiful drives that you could take if you destiny knocked at his door. The local fully understood the history of Dunn Road. power company had just purchased land You start by driving up the rock ledge along the Sturgeon Bay Canal, where they escarpment until you reach the top where wanted to build a nuclear power plant, Martin orchards used to be, 1,000 acres of but the land turned out to not be stable orchard, and there are some nice trees there enough for nuclear power. So they decided now. On the right-hand side of the road to build a coal-burning power plant but there is a little stand with some flat stones needed to find a place to dump the toxic 2 coal fly-ash. Jerry’s farm would be ideal. Ahnapee Trail. And on that trail is a rock Jerry mounted a coalition of neighbors with a plaque, placed there by the Door to oppose the proposed fly-ash dump and County Historical Society and the Wisconsin the unwanted coal-burning power plant. Ice Age Trail Foundation that was taken Calling themselves the SOS (Save Our Soil) from my property and commemorates the Organization, they notified the media. They beginning of a great ice age history.” hired the most notorious shyster lawyer they could find. They fought eminent domain These environmental giants were asked two with eminent domain and, after a long questions. 1) What trends or issues most exhausting opposition they finally won in concern you about the environment? 2) court. And that started Jerry’s long history What is your favorite place in Door County? of environmental protection. He joined a They responded with the following: newly formed group called the Door County Environmental Council and later became George stated, “I am most concerned about the long-standing executive director of how our state government is losing interest the group. They led the charge against the in the things that we are talking about uncontrolled development of Door County. tonight. I think that we need leaders and I They helped create the Door County Land think the government could provide those Trust. They helped to protect the endangered leaders if they wanted to.” Favorite place: Hines Emerald Dragonfly from the pressures The view from on top of the rocks on Martin of overdevelopment. The list goes on and Hill on Dunn Road. on, year after year, fighting to save the best things about Door County Jerry explained, by a series of examples, how important it is for the people to stand Carl Scholz is a man with great integrity. up for what is environmentally right and For decades he was the leader of the not let private interests control our natural Sevastopol School District and holds resources without regard for the health our the record for being the longest standing communities and society. Favorite place: school district superintendent in the The Hungry Settlement Marsh along the history of Wisconsin. But possibly more Ahnapee Trail in the town of Nasewaupee. important than that, he is a great leader for his promotion of a healthy Door County Carl agreed with George that our environment. He reflects, “I was very state government is losing interest in fortunate throughout my entire life to environmental things. He felt that this have known a lot of great people. I met is evident in the fact that the Wisconsin Aldo Leopold when I attended The Pines Department of Natural Resources Magazine Conservation Camp two years in a row at is going to be discontinued by decree of the Wisconsin Dells. He was on the camp Governor Walker and DNR Secretary staff and I was very fortunate to be exposed Cathy Stepp. He asked that we contact our to him. I knew Governor Gaylord Nelson legislators and urge them to continue the and since we are celebrating Earth Day, we publication of the magazine. Favorite place: should remember that it was he who started Whitefish Dunes State Park because it is a the promotion of Earth Day. Another thing flagship of the state parks and has a geology he started was the Wisconsin Ice Age Trail, like none other. which begins here in Door County along the 3 Charlotte felt that big money in our Emerald Ash Borer Update government was a major problem. She also felt that we need citizen scientists, ccording to the Wisconsin Department stream monitors, inventory takers, and more Aof Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer personal involvement and support for our Protection, the Emerald Ash Borer continues local groups such as the Land Trust and to spread throughout the state of Wisconsin.