January 2022
Local naturalist, Lee Johnson, turned 90 years old on December 18, 2021, and sat with WORRV chapter president Jerry Paulson and videographer Charles Johannsen to reflect on the changes to the natural environment he has witnessed during his life. A keen observer of nature and a life-long bird watcher, Lee will share his remembrances during the first program of the New Year at 7:00 P.M. on Thursday, January 20th.
Lee’s Great Grandfather came to Winnebago County in 1838 and settled near Harrison. His father lost his job and all of his savings during the Great Depression. He worked hard to send Lee and his sister to school where Lee excelled in science and natural history. Growing up in Roscoe near Kinnikinnick Creek, he and his sister explored the creeks, woodlands and wetlands along the Rock River and began his life-long interest in birds.
In 10th grade Lee visited the area along the Sugar River known as Colored Sands to look for birds. He later acquired the natural area to protect it from being mined for sand and started the Sand Bluff Bird Observatory, a bird banding station, on the property. In 1974 he sold the land to the Forest Preserve District of Winnebago County, and the southern part became Colored Sands Nature Preserve. Lee served as Director of the Burpee Museum of Natural History from 1985-1997, raising $3.5 million to build a new wing to the museum.
Lee has received the Seth B. Atwood Award for Parks and Recreation, the George & Barbara Fell Award, the National Parks and Recreation Award, Service Above Self Award from the Rockford Rotary Club, and the National Audubon Society Presidential Recognition Award. He served on the Natural Land Institute board, Forest Preserve District Board of Commissioners, Girl Scouts of Rock River Valley board, the board of Sinnissippi Audubon Society, and was a founding member of the North Central Illinois Ornithological Society along with his sister who became a renowned bird expert in Arizona.