Changemaker Speaker Series with Ronan Donovan

Ronan Donovan: Exploring our Wild Nature

Wheeler Opera House | Tuesday, December 16 | 7-8:30pm

Wolf-Whisperer. Wildlife Biologist. Natural History Filmmaker.

What does it mean to be human? We are, at our core, social mammals. We build relationships, communicate, reproduce, establish territories, and adapt to shrinking resources. In these ways, we’re no different from other social mammals. Chimpanzees, wolves, and gorillas are among the most charismatic mammals we know. We identify with them as species, groups, and even as named individuals. All social mammals live in groups to achieve together what they cannot do alone. Join biologist-turned-photographer Ronan Donovan as he shares what he’s learned documenting these animals, and the insights he believes we—as fellow social mammals—can learn from our wild kin.

National Geographic Explorer Ronan Donovan is a wildlife biologist turned conservation photographer. He uses visual storytelling to illuminate stories related to our fellow social mammals to remind us that we are all connected and to promote the preservation of our shared habitat. Ronan has embedded for months at a time, year after year, with wild families of wolves, chimpanzees, and mountain gorillas to capture imagery that highlights their challenges, behaviors, and family bonds. His time in the field has resulted in five National Geographic magazine feature stories on the conservation status of these species. You can watch Ronan in action in Kingdom of the White Wolf (Disney+) and in Planet Earth 3 (Amazon Prime). His first photo exhibition, titled Wolves, will be traveling for the next 3 years.

Presented in association with Changemaker Speaker Series