Rob Nelson – Biologist / Creator of StoneAgeMan

For the last 25 years, Rob Nelson has worked as a biologist and wildlife educator with one goal that has never really changed: reconnect people with nature, and through nature, with themselves and their communities. It started in graduate school at the University of Hawaiʻi, where he studied behavioral ecology and ethnobotany and spent years on the side leading nature tours, teaching visitors and locals to see the islands’ wildlife, plants and natural history with new eyes. Those tours were the first sparks of what has grown into the StoneAgeMan platform: a YouTube channel followed by more than half a million people, plant medicine and natural history courses, ancestral health and fitness programs, and field expeditions led several times a year, from the Arctic to the Hawaiian rainforest.

Along the way, Rob learned that good science only matters when it is told well. That lesson took root while he was teaching biology at the University of Hawaiʻi and deepened at Montana State University, where he earned an M.F.A. in Science and Natural History Filmmaking. Since then his documentaries have earned three Emmy Awards and more than four dozen film honors. He has hosted or appeared as an expert on more than two dozen television programs for National Geographic, Discovery, Science Channel, Animal Planet, PBS, BBC and the Smithsonian Channel, and he has produced educational media for dozens of universities, museums, zoos and agencies across the country, all while teaching workshops that give the next generation of scientists the skills to tell their own stories. You can explore that work right here on StoneAgeMan.com, on The Wild Classroom, in courses like IbogaineCourse.org, and on YouTube through StoneAgeMan, StoneAgeMan Talks, Biophilia, Sportology and Rob and Jonas’ Science Filmmaking Tips. The full record is below.

Where to Find Rob’s Work

Education and Degrees

Research

Institutional Affiliations and Partners

Universities and Research Institutions

  • University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (alumnus; research and media partner)
  • Montana State University (alumnus)
  • University of Miami (alumnus)
  • James Cook University, Australia (study abroad)
  • Duke University (Instructor, Talent Identification Program)
  • University of North Carolina
  • North Carolina State University
  • Northwestern University (chemistry series)
  • University of Florida PIE Center (mosquito education)
  • University of Gothenburg and Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden (Molecular Frontiers chemistry series)
  • Howard Hughes Medical Institute (chemistry series)
  • American Chemical Society (chemistry series)
  • Smithsonian Institution
  • Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama (Internship Grantee, 2007)
  • Mote Marine Laboratory (shark research education)

Zoos, Museums and Conservation Organizations

Natural Resource Agencies and Extension

  • U.S. Forest Service
  • Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
  • South Carolina Department of Natural Resources
  • New York State DNR
  • North Carolina Cooperative Extension
  • Ohio State University Extension

Education and Publishing

Television and Media

  • National Geographic and Nat Geo Wild
  • Discovery Channel, Science Channel and Animal Planet
  • PBS and PBS Digital Studios
  • Smithsonian Channel
  • BBC
  • German Television and Japanese Television
  • GoPro

Natural Resources Projects

  • Decoding the Driftless (2018): Co-producer of a feature documentary with Sustainable Driftless, Inc. on the landforms, cold-water trout streams, caves, effigy mounds and Mississippi River ecosystem of the unglaciated Driftless Region. Filmed from helicopters, cliff faces, underground rivers and multispectral aircraft with Jonas Stenström, Tim Jacobson, George Howe and six-time Emmy winner Neil Rettig. Broadcast on PBS. Emmy Award and more than 20 festival awards.
  • Mysteries of the Driftless (2012): Producer and director, with Dan Bertalan, of a documentary short for the Mississippi Valley Conservancy highlighting land conservation in the Upper Mississippi River Valley. Broadcast on PBS; official selection at the Oneota, Julien Dubuque, Great Lakes Environmental, Twin Cities, Frozen River, Flyway, Quad Cities Environmental and Driftless film festivals. Emmy Award.
  • Life After: Chernobyl (Animal Planet, 2016): Co-host and biologist, with anthropologist Mary-Ann Ochota, as the first scientists granted unlimited access to the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone to investigate the effects of 30 years of radiation on wildlife and ecosystems. Aired on the 30th anniversary of the disaster. See also 10 Facts About Chernobyl.
  • PBS Climate Change Series (2023): Emmy Award for solutions-focused stories on a changing climate.
  • North Carolina Zoo: Documentary on gorilla heart disease and the wild diet that reversed it (the story behind StoneAgeFit); a 10-part educational video series for the Explore Asia exhibit (2026); Untamed Science films in the Zoo’s educator resources.
  • State and Federal Natural Resource Agencies: Science media for the U.S. Forest Service, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, South Carolina DNR and New York State DNR; on-camera presenter for state-approved hunter and boater education with Kalkomey.
  • Save Our Seas Foundation: Grant-funded Aquatic Biomes video series promoting ocean awareness.
  • National Science Foundation and Mote Marine Laboratory: K-12 outreach for the Accelerometry Research Initiative.
  • University of Florida PIE Center (2019): Video series on mosquito biology, mosquito-borne disease, mosquito control and household prevention.
  • White and Albino Squirrel Research Initiative: Citizen science study of white squirrel abundance.
  • California Academy of Sciences: Collaboration on household arthropod biodiversity, The Bugs of Your Home.
  • Insect Biodiversity Expeditions: Collecting Bugs in Sweden and Collecting Bugs in the Amazon.
  • Ethnobotany and Mycology: Courses and films on the identification, ecology and traditional uses of wild plants and fungi, including lessons from a Bwiti initiated healer.

Media Success by the Numbers

Highlights

  • Three-time Emmy Award winner
  • 48+ film awards and honors
  • 24+ television programs as host or on-camera expert
  • 750K+ YouTube subscribers across two channels, with 60M+ views on StoneAgeMan
  • Nearly 6 million students per year reached through Pearson classroom video, and roughly half of all U.S. students who took a science class between 2010 and 2026 used an Untamed Science video in class
  • 1,000+ science shorts produced since 2008

YouTube and Online Video

Television

  • On-camera expert, What on Earth?, Science Channel; 5 seasons (2016 to 2021)
  • Host, Secrets of the Underground, Science Channel and Discovery; 2 seasons, 16 episodes investigating subterranean mysteries from Alcatraz and the Serpent Mound to the Nazi gold train and King Solomon’s mines, using ground-penetrating radar, LIDAR and 3-D imaging (2017 to 2018)
  • Host, Man-Eating Python of Sulawesi, Discovery Channel (2017)
  • Co-host, Life After: Chernobyl, Animal Planet (2016)
  • On-camera expert, World’s Weirdest, Nat Geo Wild (2014 to 2016)
  • On-camera expert, Strange Evidence, Science Channel (2015)
  • On-camera expert, Animals Gone Wild, National Geographic (2013)
  • Co-host, DNews with Julia Wilde, Discovery (2013)
  • Producer and host for science series with German and Japanese television, the BBC, GoPro and the Smithsonian Channel

Awards and Honors

  • Emmy Award, PBS climate change series (2023)
  • Emmy Award, Best Documentary, Topical, Upper Midwest Regional Emmy Awards, Decoding the Driftless (2021)
  • Emmy Award, Outstanding Achievement in Documentary Programs, Upper Midwest Regional Emmy Awards, Mysteries of the Driftless (2014)
  • Special Jury Award, Jackson Hole Media Festival (2014)
  • Best Internet Program, International Wildlife Film Festival (2011)
  • Finalist, Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival, Best Short Short (2011)
  • Honorable Mention, Blue Film Festival, Untamed Science (2009)
  • Finalist, Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival, EcoGeeks Podcasts (2007)
  • Internship Grantee, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama (2007)

Festival Record for Decoding the Driftless (2018 to 2021)

Awards

  • Emmy Award, Best Documentary, Topical, Upper Midwest Emmy Awards, Minneapolis (October 2021)
  • Award of Prestige, Best Cinematography, Vegas Film Awards (April 2020)
  • Audience Award, Vegas Film Awards (April 2020)
  • Silver Remi Award, Documentary Feature, WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival (April 2020)
  • Titletown Jury Award, Green Bay Film Festival (March 2020)
  • Audience Choice Award, Green Bay Film Festival (March 2020)
  • Best Documentary, Beloit International Film Festival (February 2020)
  • Best Documentary, Los Angeles Cinematography Awards (January 2020)
  • Humanitarian Award of Distinction, IndieFEST Film Awards (January 2020)
  • Award of Excellence, Special Mention, Documentary Feature, IndieFEST Film Awards (November 2019)
  • Award of Excellence, Nature/Environment/Wildlife, IndieFEST Film Awards (November 2019)
  • Best Documentary Feature, Iowa Independent Film Festival (September 2019)
  • Best Documentary Feature, FilmCon Awards (September 2019)
  • Best Cinematography, FilmCon Awards (September 2019)
  • Best Cinematography, New York Film Awards (September 2019)
  • 60 Best Films, Los Angeles Film Awards (September 2019)
  • Best Documentary, Gold Movie Awards, London (August 2019)
  • Best Documentary Feature, Festigious International Film Festival (August 2019)
  • Best Picture, Los Angeles Independent Film Festival (August 2019)
  • Best Cinematography, Los Angeles Independent Film Festival (August 2019)
  • Copper Quill Award, Best Documentary Feature, Red Cedar Film Festival (July 2019)
  • Outstanding Excellence, Docs Without Borders Film Festival (March 2019)

Finalist and Semi-Finalist

  • Finalist, Florence Film Awards, Italy (November 2019)
  • Semi-Finalist: Vegas Film Awards (April 2020); New York Film Awards (September 2019); Los Angeles Film Awards (September 2019); Gold Movie Awards, London (August 2019); Los Angeles Independent Film Festival (August 2019); jellyFEST Film Festival, American Film Institute (June 2019)

Official Selections

  • Mesa International Film Festival (December 2021); Depth of Field International Film Festival (June 2020); WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival (April 2020); Vegas Film Awards (April 2020); Fargo Film Festival (March 2020); Green Bay Film Festival (March 2020); Accolade Global Film Competition (March 2020); Beloit International Film Festival (February 2020)
  • Florence Film Awards (November 2019); Weyauwega International Film Festival (November 2019); Conserve Sauk Film Festival (November 2019); Eau Claire World Film Festival (November 2019); IndieFEST Film Awards (November 2019); Wildlife Conservation Film Festival, New York (October 2019); Iowa Independent Film Festival (September 2019); FilmCon Awards (September 2019); New York Film Awards (September 2019); Gold Movie Awards (August 2019); Los Angeles Independent Film Festival (August 2019); Festigious International Film Festival (August 2019); Red Cedar Film Festival (July 2019); #Adventure MN Film Fest (May 2019); Julien Dubuque International Film Festival (April 2019); Cape May Film Festival (April 2019); Indie Film Wisconsin Film Festival (April 2019); Oneota Film Festival (March 2019); Frozen River Film Festival (February 2019)
  • Driftless Film Festival (November 2018); Flyway Film Festival (October 2018)

Books

Engagement with the Education Industry

University Teaching and Guest Lectures

  • Biology Teaching Assistant, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa: Introductory Biology; Introductory Biology for Non-Majors; Zoology (2001 to 2005)
  • Instructor, Duke University Talent Identification Program
  • Guest Lecturer, Science Filmmaking, North Carolina State University (2016, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2026)

Curriculum, Classroom and Training Media

  • Kalkomey Enterprises (2011 to 2021): On-camera presenter for state-approved hunting, archery, boating, paddlesports, ATV and snowmobile safety courses used nationwide. If you have taken a hunter or boater safety course in the United States, you have probably seen Rob present the material.
  • Pearson Education (2008 to 2013): On-camera host and producer of the Untamed Science video series built into Pearson science programs; 205 curriculum videos (35 for the Miller and Levine Biology textbook, 25 high school chemistry, 65 middle grades science, 80 elementary science); nearly 6 million students per year.
  • Pearson Online Learning Exchange (2007 to 2014): Weekly science shorts for classroom use.
  • Chemistry video series for Northwestern University, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the American Chemical Society and the Molecular Frontiers program at the University of Gothenburg and Chalmers University of Technology, including the 2011 International Year of Chemistry program.
  • Skydive Chicago: On-camera presenter for skydiving training.

Digital Learning Platforms Founded and Built

Field Courses and Experiential Education

  • HawaiiCamp, Island of Hawaiʻi (launching June 2027): Five-day nature immersion field course built around earth, fire, water and sky.
  • Sacred Rainforest, Costa Rica (2025): Field course on the traditional uses of fungi in the rainforest.
  • SnowCamp, Arctic Sweden (annual since 2019): Winter survival expedition above the Arctic Circle, with northern lights and a polar plunge, co-led with Jonas Stenström. Next trip: February 2027.
  • Naturalist Guide (2001 to 2005): Hawaiian nature and wildlife tours during graduate studies.

Science Communication Training, Talks and Panels

Selected Writing

On StoneAgeMan.com

On Untamed Science

Field Skills and Sport Science

Early in his career Rob set out to reach the kids at the back of the science classroom by combining extreme sports with science. That meant actually doing the sports. He has raced whitewater slalom kayaks, once ranking 10th at the U.S. slalom trials, competed in wakeboarding, won a state road cycling championship, worked as a SCUBA divemaster, and trained in snowboarding, hang gliding, skydiving, cross-country skiing, slalom water skiing, barefoot skiing, open-ocean swimming, playboating and parkour. Those skills are what let the team tell science stories from inside the action, from buoyant force in a kayak to the science of the Winter Olympics, and they became the foundation of the Sportology series. Today the same hands-on approach shapes StoneAgeFit and every field expedition.

Rob and Haley: A Filmmaking and Science Team

In 2010 Rob married Haley Chamberlain Nelson, a biologist, science host and producer who has been writing, producing and hosting with Untamed Science and StoneAgeMan for more than a decade. Together they have produced more than a thousand science shorts, co-authored Mother Nature Is Not Trying to Kill You, filmed the ibogaine documentary and built The Ibogaine Course, and they raise two sons who grow up on location. Haley’s credits include Smithsonian Channel’s Bug Bites and four years hosting JASON Live!

Podcasts and Interviews

Podcast Guest Appearances

Video Interviews and Live Lessons

Podcasts and Talk Series Rob Hosts

Press and Profiles

In Rob’s Own Words

Follow and Support the Work

Let’s Tell a Story Together

Rob is always interested in collaborating with academics, storytellers and anyone who cares about telling a good story well. If you have a project, a research story that deserves a wider audience, or an idea you want to talk through, please don’t hesitate to reach out. There may be a great story unfolding right in front of us.