The Washington Post July 18, 2026 • 11:52

Diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer, an owl researcher kept working till the end - The Washington Post

By Harrison Smith

Diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer, an owl researcher kept working till the end - The Washington Post

David Johnson, who has died at 69, was a leading owl researcher and conservationist. “I didn’t pick owls,” he said, “they picked me.”

When he was 11, David Johnson grabbed his backpack and set out for a camping trip on the Blue Earth River, not far from his familys home in southern Minnesota. Sitting alone in the moonlight that eve… [+113 chars]

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