▁ ▁Life ▁Robinson ▁was ▁born ▁c . ▁ 1 9 4 1 ▁to ▁L ester ▁Beau cl erk ▁Robinson ▁( 1 9 0 1 – 6 9 ) ▁and ▁Helen ▁Matthew ▁Robinson ▁( 1 9 1 0 – 2 0 0 2 ). ▁He ▁attended ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁California ▁Davis , ▁gradu ating ▁with ▁a ▁degree ▁in ▁agr onomy ▁and ▁ran ch ▁management . ▁After ▁college , ▁he ▁served ▁in ▁the ▁US ▁Army ▁before ▁returning ▁to ▁Hawai i , ▁where ▁he ▁initially ▁worked ▁at ▁the ▁K ool au ▁R anch ▁on ▁K au a ʻ i ▁seven ▁years ▁and ▁then ▁operated ▁a ▁commercial ▁fish ing ▁vessel ▁on ▁K au a ʻ i ▁for ▁another ▁seven ▁years . ▁ ▁Robinson ▁and ▁his ▁brother ▁Bruce ▁own ▁ ▁the ▁approximately ▁ ▁island ▁of ▁Ni ʻ ih au ▁in ▁the ▁Hawai ian ▁island ▁chain , ▁which ▁has ▁been ▁in ▁the ▁private ▁possession ▁of ▁their ▁family ▁since ▁their ▁great - gre at - grand m other ▁Elizabeth ▁Mc H utch inson ▁S inc la ir ▁( 1 8 0 0 – 9 2 ) ▁purchased ▁it ▁from ▁King ▁K ame h ame ha ▁V ▁for ▁US $ 1 0 , 0 0 0 ▁in ▁gold . ▁He ▁is ▁also ▁the ▁manager ▁of ▁a ▁private ▁botan ical ▁garden ▁on ▁the ▁Hawai ian ▁island ▁of ▁K au a ʻ i . ▁Robinson ▁makes ▁his ▁home ▁on ▁K au a ʻ i , ▁but ▁vis its ▁Ni ʻ ih au ▁at ▁least ▁once ▁per ▁week ▁on ▁average . ▁ ▁Conserv ation