THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, June 4, 1995 TAG: 9506020294
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 14 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Cover Story
SOURCE: By Mary Reid Barrow
STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 100 lines
Once on ``vacation,'' the great outdoors became a full-time avocation. Now it's hard to imagine Lukei as a button-down accountant. With his sparse stubble of a crew cut, beard and moustache, ever present bill cap and casual clothing, the woods, not a desk, is his milieu.
``At the end of five years, I was supposed to cut the water spigot off and go back to being a public accountant,'' Lukei said. ``But the flame that had once burned brightly had diminished to a flicker.''
He keeps his hand in it by doing income tax returns at tax time. But now his real work - full time and paid - is as the national coordinator of the American Discovery Trail, a coast-to coast network of trails in the making, sponsored by the American Hiking Society.
Although Lukei does have an office once again, it's in an airy, converted porch at his Little Neck home. Striking close-up color photos of raptors, taken and processed by Lukei himself, line the walls. Windows give view to a shady back yard where an occasional live hawk perches in the trees.
Lukei logs many hours on the road these days - lobbying for support of the Discovery Trail, tying together scenic trails with urban trails and talking to local government and trail groups. He recently edited ``The American Discovery Trail, Explorer's Guide,'' a paperback that gives an overview of the trail that stretches from Cape Henlopen State Park in Delaware to Point Reyes National Park in California.
``But if the telephone rings,'' Melinda Lukei said, ``and we've got an injured hawk, he just puts on the message machine.''
Lukei takes many busman's holidays, too. As a member of the Appalachian Trail Club, he works as a volunteer to help maintain local trails, participates in clean-ups and speaks out for the environment. He recently helped to finish the trail at the Elizabeth River Nature and Canoe Trail, a new city park in the Carolanne Farm neighborhood. Back Bay Refuge has been relying on Lukei's volunteer services for a good two decades.
``We turn to Reese for so many and such a variety of things,'' acting refuge manager Joe McCauley said. ``We treat him as one of our own.''
Lukei goes out on raptor distress calls for the refuge, organizes their spring clean-up, designs and builds trails, offers political support and like a proud grandpa, monitors the refuge's active bald eagle nest, the first in southeast Virginia in 25 years.
``It's pretty rare when you can find someone with talent and enthusiasm and he is willing to share it with you,'' McCauley added.
An operation on a bone spur in his shoulder has put Lukei at a bit of a disadvantage this spring. He's still out on the trails, but he's doing more directing of his comrades and less active work.
``The doctor told me it was old age,'' Lukei said. ``I was looking around to see who he was talking about!''
One day this spring, nursing his shoulder, he served as the volunteer coordinator for a trail maintenance workshop at First Landing/ Seashore State Park. Twenty-three folks representing city and state parks, Boy Scout leaders and others attended.
Lukei also coordinated this weekend's celebration of the 30th anniversary of the designation of the state park's Natural Area as a National Natural Landmark. Park manager Fred Hazelwood appreciates not only what Lukei has done for the park but also his attitude about life.
``There aren't too many people who have the confidence in themselves to be willing to take a gamble and go off and do what they love,'' Hazelwood said. ``He's living proof of someone who can do what they love, if they have the desire.'' ILLUSTRATION: [Cover]
[Color Photo]
THE BIRD MAN OF THE BEACH
Staff photos, including color cover, by STEVE EARLEY
[Color Photos]
RIGHT: Recently, with the help of a long-handled mirror, Reese Lukei
has been counting the eggs and babies in the nests.
ABOVE: In this close-up view, he sees an osprey that is less than a
day old and an osprey egg with a small hole in it where the bird is
pecking its way out.
LEFT: Reese Lukei jots down notes on the position and contents of an
osprey's nest on Back Bay. This summer, he will recount them to
gauge how successful the nests have been. At the same time, he will
put metal identification bands around the legs of the young osprey.
Lukei also supervises the construction and placement of osprey
nesting platforms for wildlife groups that request his help.
BELOW: Two osprey return to their nest after it was checked by
Lukei.
KEYWORDS: HAWK EXPERT REESE LUKEI RAPTOR by CNB