Andrew Johnson, a Chadds Ford resident and prominent conservationist who helped start the Brandywine Conservancy and Museum of Art, has died at 83, according to a report from the Daily Local News.

Johnson, who was also instrumental in the establishment of the Natural Lands Trust and the North American Land Trust, additionally served as executive director of the Brandywine Conservancy during its formative years, from 1970-1976. In that time, he oversaw the renovation of a building that was converted from an old mill into the Brandywine River Museum, which later merged with the conservancy.

Later, he served as President of the Natural Lands Trust and the Philadelphia Conservationists for nearly a decade.

He founded North American Land Trust in 1992 with its goal of permanently conserving and managing open spaces throughout the country. The organization has since protected more than 136,000 acres from development at 550 locations across the nation.

He retired as president of North American Land Trust in 2015.

“The conservation community has lost a leader, a visionary, and a friend,” said North American Land Trust President Steven Carter.

Read more about Andrew Johnson in the Daily Local News.