Donovan brings Neches River adventure to life in new
By GEORGIA PURDY Newsboy Correspondent

Richard Donovan, author of Paddling the Wild Neches, will be in Jasper June 5 to sign his book at two locations, the Belle Jim Hotel at 11:30 a.m. and Wal-Mart at 2 p.m. Donovan will also be the featured speaker at the Deep East Texas Archaeological Society meeting in Newton, June 4 at 7p.m.

A long-time member of The Texas Conservation Alliance (formerly The Committee on Natural Resources), Donovan, who lives in Lufkin, has canoed some 325 miles of the Neches River, first in 1999 and again in 2001 to highlight its natural beauty and histor- -ical and ecological importance to Texans.

"The odyssey, whose purpose was to call attention to the threats facing the river, took 24 days and was the experience of a lifetime," Donovan said. "I paddled a canoe down the river from Lake Palestine to Bake B.A. Steinhagan and recorded many of the more interesting incidents in a small notebook dangling from a lanyard around my neck. These notes were later incorporated into the book."

In 2001, he and his daughter Gina made a second trip, adding 85 miles and ending at Collier's Ferry Park in Beaumont.

"Paddling the Wild Neches," published in May 2006 by Texas A&M University Press, is now in its second printing. Donovan, who feels so strongly about the need to protect the river from further dam building, is donating royalties to the Conservation Fund to buy bottomland to be added to the Neches River Wildlife Refuge, approved by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service last June.

Donovan, a native East Texan, graduated from Zavalla High School in 1954, received his BBA from Stephen F. Austin State University in 1954, and was employed by Temple Industries, now Temple Inland for 20 years.

"During my early years, I was an avid hunter and fisherman," he said. "Even then, I was concerned, at the same time I was participating in its extermination, that all of Texas' wildlife was going the way of the black bear and the eagle. Thankfully, game and fish laws were strengthened and additional wardens were hired, but habitat preservation, has, so far, eluded us. Hundreds of thousands of acres of diverse forest continue to be obliterated each year."

The Neches and an 11- mile stretch of the Devils River are the only two rivers in Texas that qualify as "wild", waterways that still look much like they did when Europeans first arrived.

Donovan's two voyages down the Neches River have shown that this river system still contains diverse habitat: 200 species of trees, 300 species of birds, 50 species of animals, and numerous species of fish.

"The Neches has too many roads across it to be designated a "Wild and Scenic River" but it can, and should be designated a "Scenic River", he said. "The section between Lake Palestine and B.A. Steinhagan contains vast stretches of bottomland hardwoods and great diversity of wildlife. When you paddle a river, it is so quiet that you become a part of your surroundings and it is almost startling, at times, to see how close you can approach wildlife like deer, otters and beaver."

Donovan believes that too many Americans have lost touch, or never been exposed to the natural world and that we need these wild places.

"We have lost contact with the natural world," he said. "We've become so detached that many young people, for example, only know that chicken comes in plastic wrap from the store and eggs come in Styrofoam cartons."

Like many Texas conservationists, Donovan believes it is important to protect the river from further dam construction, such as the proposed Fastrill Reservoir because of the negative environmental and economic impact to East Texas.

"Changing the river flow will affect the coastal estuaries and Sabine Lake," he said. "The fresh water inflow is vital to controlling salinity in those areas. In addition, if Fastrill Dam is built, the water will never return to the Neches. It will be transferred to the Trinity. East Texas is going to grow in population. Why not preserve and protect the river and use it for the economic advantage of East Texans."

Donovan's book highlights the history of the Neches as well as the flora and fauna of this important waterway. It is a delightful read for anyone interested in East Texas.

"The history of the Neches River is the history of East Texas ," Donovan said. "This is where the early settlers came with Stephen F. Austin, and it was also home to Native American tribes for hundreds, maybe thousands, of years. Jasper and Tyler Counties have some of the most beautiful spring-clear creeks that flow into the Neches. These are some of the prettiest creeks in the state and these counties also have some of the most beautiful big trees in the state. We need to preserve the Neches River for future generations."

In addition to the two book signings, the public is invited to hear Donovan and view his slide show presentation at the Deep East Texas Archaeological Society meeting Monday, May 4, at 7p.m.

The group meets at the Newton County History Center.