Chicago Filmmaker Teaches Wildlife Conservationists in Rwanda and Uganda to Document Nature

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A Unique Initiative to Empower Wildlife Conservationists in Africa

A Chicago filmmaker, David McGowan, has taken an extraordinary step by creating a classroom in Africa. His mission is to share his knowledge and insight with wildlife conservationists in Rwanda and Uganda. The result of this effort is a series of remarkable images that capture the essence of the region's wildlife—such as the intense gaze of a gorilla or the hidden herd of hippos. However, the people behind these cameras are not professional filmmakers.

"These are the people on the front lines of wildlife management," said McGowan. "They'll see things other people won't see because they're there all the time, and it's only fair—they want to have a voice in the discussion too."

Giving Voice Through Visual Storytelling

McGowan recognized that while these individuals had valuable experiences, they lacked the tools to document their work. He wanted them to have "the eyes," meaning access to camera gear so they could tell their own stories. In 2022, he traveled to Rwanda, bringing the equipment they needed and teaching them how to use it.

"It worked like a charm. The people who took the class were rangers, trackers and guides. They got it right away," he said.

This initiative was born out of a personal experience McGowan had in 2007 while in Uganda. A veterinarian he was working with shared a story about a silverback gorilla that died. While death among gorillas wasn't unusual, what happened afterward was.

"The body was surrounded by juveniles and females in an unmistakable mourning rite," McGowan recalled. "He had never seen that. He went to his colleagues, and they had never seen that. He went back to the literature – nothing. He said, 'If I had a camera and knew how to use it, that would have been international news and a boon to science.'"

A Journey of Passion and Purpose

It took several years for McGowan to turn this idea into reality. He invested his own money to purchase the necessary equipment for budding filmmakers. He then headed to Africa to teach a month-long course to rangers and guides—individuals who drive the wildlife tourism industry but had never documented what they see every day in their backyard.

"I feel like this is working," he said. "This is exactly what we want to do. We want them to have the tools and the skills to offer their voices about what are the solutions to keeping wildlife wild."

McGowan's students have already produced several short documentaries that they share online. These films cover a range of topics, from wildlife conservation to human, animal, and environmental health. His support continues even after the course ends; every Monday, he joins a Zoom call to encourage his students and answer any questions they have.

A Full-Circle Moment

One of the film projects focused on how locals in Rwanda are learning to create handmade paper from banana plants. This project holds special significance for McGowan, as he was nominated for an Academy Award in 1992 for his documentary on an Indiana couple who create handmade paper.

"I don't know what to make of it, it's like serendipity," McGowan said.

Life, indeed, has a way of opening doors, many of them unexpected. For McGowan, this journey has been about learning, fulfilling dreams, protecting, and documenting a way of life for generations to come.

Building a Global Network of Conservationists

"I'm training people to feel like I do," said McGowan. "They're as passionate about conservation as I am. I know I have allies on other continents. I know there's a cohort who will continue to do what I did with my career."

His work has inspired a new generation of storytellers who are now using their voices and cameras to share the importance of preserving wildlife. To explore more of McGowan's and his students' work, visit ravenswoodmedia.com.