Biography

Robert Nixon grew up in a Philadelphia suburb and aspired to be a field biologist. Academic challenges led him to travel to England where he apprenticed with Master Falconer Phillip Glasier. He subsequently searched the rainforest of Guyana to study and photograph the little-known ornate hawk eagle and the harpy eagle. Returning to America, Bob established a Raptor education program at The Wildlife Preserve under the guidance of Master Falconer Jim Fowler. 

In the early 1990s, Robert read a New York Times article about the garbage-choked Anacostia River, which runs through one of America's poorest neighborhoods in Washington, D.C. He decided then that he needed to do something about it. He moved from Malibu to Washington, D.C. and secured a small grant from the Coors Foundation to launch the Earth Conservation Corps, a stalled domestic policy initiative which Bob had discussed with President George W. Bush during his administration. He persuaded seven teenage boys and two teenage girls to volunteer to clean up the river, and together they hauled thousands of tires from the water. The program later expanded to include replanting wetlands, restoring river habitats, and creating parks and trails. Since its launch, corps member have provided more than one million hours of service, mobilizing thousands of young people and fostering the involvement of the city and Federal government. Earth Conservation Corps has additionally established several environmental groups on the Anacostia River. Robert, who originally intended to spend only a year on the project, has remained the group's leader for more than 20 years. Inspired by the impact of the Earth Conservation Corps, Bob founded Wings Over America, a non-profit which pairs adjudicated youth with injured birds of prey as part of the rehabilitation process. His work as a conservationist and activist has generated media attention - he has been covered by 60 Minutes, Now with Bill Moyers, PBS and NPR, among many other broadcast outlets, while also being featured in publications including Time, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times and The New York Times.