Long-time TCA board member Richard Donovan started out as mad as fire at TCA. He attended a meeting to protest a statement Ned Fritz had made about allowing fires in the national forest to keep burning, to allow natural processes to unfold. By the time the meeting was over, Richard had joined our organization, eventually becoming a leading supporter and vice chair of the board of directors.
Richard’s name is synonymous with the Neches River in East Texas. Building on his popular book, Paddling the Wild Neches, he has recruited hundreds of people to help protect the rivers and forests of Texas. With his wife Bonnie and daughter Gina, he has fought for establishing the Neches River National Wildlife Refuge and for better management of Texas’ four national forests. He has raised awareness of the beauty of Texas rivers and the crucial role of habitat in conserving iconic wildlife such as deer, turkey, migratory waterfowl, hawks, turtles, and the beautiful songbirds that visit or inhabit Texas.
“East Texas tends to be neglected by the rest of the state,” says Richard. “TCA’s strong presence has been a great blessing for East Texas’ abundant natural resources.”