On a moonlit night in 1967, an Eastern Screech-Owl landed on the pup tent of a young boy camping along the Blue Earth River in southern Minnesota. The boy sat motionless and spellbound, watching the vibrating throat of the owl’s silhouette through his tent as it trilled and whinnied. The owl conservationist in David H. Johnson was born.

Since that fateful night nearly half of North America’s 19 species of owls have found themselves the subject of David’s research. Most notably he shouldered the role of being the first Spotted Owl Coordinator for the state of Oregon. This led him into the expert witness seat in the courtroom no less than six times during the hotbed of the Spotted Owl /logging controversy of the 1990s. He was rewarded with several commendations, including a Special Commendation from the U.S. Secretary of the Interior, the highest civil service award given to non-Interior Department employees.

Thinking big comes naturally to David, so in 2002 he founded the Global Owl Project and has served as its Director ever since from his home in Alexandria, Virginia. The Global Owl Project is a team of 450+ researchers from around the world working together to conserve the planet’s owls. Current research endeavors include survey techniques, genetics, vocalizations, morphology, distribution, and human cultural biases toward owls.

Those cultural biases hold a special allure for David. He is planning to work with the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History to develop a “Spirit Wings – Owls in Lore and Culture” traveling exhibit intended to reach millions of people around the globe.

David will most certainly keep his finger in the world’s owl pie until his spirit flies off to meet the great owl in the sky, which we hope will be in the far distant future.

 

Special Achievement Award - Colin Shawyer