National Geographic Storyteller Ronan Donovan ’01 Visits Gould

Ronan’s former teacher, Assistant Head of School Brad Clarke P’12,’15,’16,’19, kicked things off with a warm introduction and background to set the stage.

“Ronan is a born explorer,” said Dr. Clarke. “He inherited his sense of adventure from his parents, who once sailed across the Atlantic, from his birth in rural Vermont in a cabin his father built. His photographic journeys for National Geographic have included an entire year living inside Yellowstone National Park, documenting the lives of wild wolves, hiking volcanos to photograph mountain gorillas, and documenting human-wildlife conflict through wild chimpanzees in Africa. Ronan’s unique ability to tell the stories of the animals he focuses on elicits compassion and engages people in conversation. His photography gives a voice to his subjects.”

Before diving into his prolific body of work, Ronan expressed how wonderful it was to be back at Gould, walking the same hallways and enjoying meals in Ordway Hall with friends. It was his first return since 2012. In attendance were many of Ronan’s classmates and former teachers, including former Gould Nordic ski coach Dick Taylor.

Ronan’s storytelling and imagery from photographing chimpanzees in Uganda and silverback gorillas in Rwanda enthralled students. He showed aerial shots of human developments and farms bordering the animals’ habitat, leading into one of the central themes of his work, respectfully co-existing and sharing our environment with wildlife.

From his early work in Africa, Ronan moved on to the topic of wolves, the animals he has focused on for the last ten years. He talked about how wolves had been nearly hunted into extinction in the United States, along with several other species. He talked about the importance of keystone species and how their presence impacts their environment.

“Keystone species are the cornerstone of their ecosystems,” explained Ronan. “Like the keystone in an arch, they hold everything together, supporting biodiversity in their surroundings. Biodiversity builds resilience. The more species in an ecosystem, the more strength it has to withstand change. When wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone, they balanced the ecosystem by controlling elk populations, which in turn allowed plants and other animals to thrive, restoring balance across the landscape.”

Ronan connected with the audience in his own unique and authentic way using his genuine vulnerability. There’s no greater testament to this than an auditorium full of high school students letting their guard down to howl alongside him as he closed his presentation.

“Alright, let's let loose and howl together!” invited Ronan. “Like wolves, this howl will make us feel good, releasing those feel-good chemicals. Don’t worry if it feels silly—howling is just like singing, and it’s good for you. Ready? Take a deep breath and let it out!”

As the howls rang out in Bingham Auditorium, it was certainly a great day to be a Husky.

Read the GAzette feature article on Ronan
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