Hero Spotlight, Kindra Hixon

 Making a Lasting Difference through Habitat Restoration

Kindra recently joined our habitat management team. She grew up outside Portland, Oregon, where she developed a passion for nature at an early age.

Her passion for nature drove her to earn a degree in Environmental Science with an emphasis on ecology from Southern Oregon University. As her career developed, Kindra found herself in Belize studying migration patterns of hooked-billed kites and other neotropical birds with the Belize Raptor Research Institute. Her career continued to advance at well-known organizations, including the Catalina Island Conservancy and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge.

As a restoration ecologist, Kindra’s typical day with Nature Collective varies daily, but it always starts early, no matter the weather—whether cold or hot, rainy or sunny—as she works on important habitat restoration projects. This includes removing invasive species, planting native plants, conducting vegetation surveys, and caring for restoration sites. Some days are spent in the office developing vegetation restoration plans to rebuild vital habitats for wildlife.

One of Kindra’s favorite species is the California Quail, California’s state bird, with its black, forward-facing topknot that sticks out from its forehead like a small flag. She smiles and giggles as she describes how she has observed these unique birds strut, with a head-bobbing motion, across open areas within our restoration sites. And she notes how, almost immediately after hatching, chicks are up and strutting behind their parents, creating a truly delightful sight.

Above: California Quail, Photo Chris Mayne 

Kindra also shared a recent moment when she encountered a Southern mule deer fawn at one of the restoration sites. She described the experience as one of many magical moments in the field.

 Above: Southern Mule Deer fawn at Restoration Site

One of Nature Collective’s projects she particularly enjoys is the Cardiff Living Shoreline project at Cardiff State Beach, where she works to maintain a healthy native dune habitat for protected species like the Western Snowy Plover—a small shorebird that often feeds and rests on this beach. Besides providing an excellent habitat for other protected plants, birds, and reptiles, she shares that she is excited to know her efforts also provide an opportunity for visitors to experience a rare coastal dune habitat that’s becoming increasingly scarce.

 Above: Western Snowy Plover at Cardiff Living Shoreline

 Above: Beach Primrose at Cardiff Living Shoreline

Kindra also shares that she is proud to work with Nature Collective, highlighting our science-based approach. She believes that while habitat restoration is very important, monitoring is just as crucial because it helps improve future restoration efforts. She hopes that more grants and contracts will include funding for both short- and long-term monitoring.

Kindra loves San Diego and its vibrant, diverse range of local plants and animals, making this area a special place to live and work. She shares that she has a deep appreciation for the environment and the nonprofit community that works to care for our valuable natural resources every day. While Kindra has traveled around the world honing her career skills, she is happy to be back in San Diego County, where she was born, where she and her husband now call home.

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