P&P Live! Rodney Stotts | BIRD BROTHER

A Politics & Prose live event

Sunday, February 6, 2022 - 3:00pm EST

In Bird Brother: A Falconer's Journey and the Healing Power of WildlifeRodney Stotts shares his unlikely journey to becoming a conservationist and one of America's few Black master falconers. Rodney grew up in Washington, D.C. during the crack epidemic, with guns, drugs, and the threat of incarceration affecting the lives of everyone he knew. He was no exception, but he was also employed by the newly founded Earth Conservation Corps, helping to restore and conserve the polluted Anacostia River. This work eventually sent his life in a different direction, as he began to train to become a master falconer and to develop his own raptor education program and sanctuary. Eye-opening, witty, and moving, Bird Brother is a testament to the healing power of nature, and a reminder that no matter how much heartbreak we've endured, we still have the capacity to give back to our communities and follow our dreams.

Rodney Stotts is a master falconer, educator and the founder and director of Rodney's Raptors. When he's not on the sanctuary property located in Laurel, Maryland, Rodney lives on seven acres in Charlotte Court House, Virginia, where he is working to turn the property into a haven for underprivileged youth and anyone who is interested in learning about falconry, wildlife, and conservation. The finished project will be called Dippy's Dream, after Rodney's deceased mother. His work has been featured in National GeographicNPR, and other national outlets. He is the subject of the documentary The Falconer.

Kate Pipkin is a writer and editor living and working in Baltimore. She has contributed to the Baltimore SunBaltimore MagazineJohns Hopkins Magazine, and more.