Lake County Conservation Award

The beauty of Lake County has inspired many to find ways to preserve and protect our natural world. In 2011, Conserve Lake County awarded its first Lake County Conservation Award. This annual award honors individuals or organizations that have made a significant contribution to the conservation of Lake County's land and water. We hope this award will bring community recognition to those who have dedicated themselves to preservation, restoration, education, and advocacy and inspire others to do the same.

2011 Lake County Conservation Award

Barbara Turner

Barbara Turner spent most of her life in a beautiful woodland in Long Grove. This was first as a child on weekends and summers, then it was the place where she and her husband lived and raised their her own family.

Through Barbara's leadership, patience and persistence, that place is now the Reed-Turner Woodland, one of the first private properties to be preserved in Illinois by the Nature Conservancy. In addition to Nature Conservancy protection much of the woodland has been dedicated as an Illinois Nature Preserve, the strongest level of protection afforded to natural areas of the highest quality.

Barbara has also made a life-long commitment to mentoring and teaching others. Many of today's land stewards were inspired by her. She has been a pioneer in woodland restoration and stewardship and the Reed-Turner Woodland continues to be a research and learning lab for others.

The cabin is now owned by the Long Grove Park District and serves as a nature center and public gathering space for park district programs.

Barbara continues to live in Reed-Turner woodland in a house her parents built later in life. She walks the property often and awaits the rush of woodland ephemerals every spring.

We salute the life and work of Barbara Turner and her lasting legacy for all in Lake County.