“That ‘90s Show” Star Maxwell Acee Donovan Is Protecting Our Planet with His Innovative Nonprofit
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Even during the most challenging times in history, it's important to highlight those who are continuing to follow their dreams and are taking strides to make the world a better place. Each month, Seventeen is honoring young people as Voices of Change, those who are making a difference in their community and the world at large.
At 17 years old, actor Maxwell Acee Donovan is poised to make a name for himself. He portrays affable, Green Bay Packers-adoring Nate Runck in That ‘90s Show, a spin-off of early-aughts sitcom That ‘70s Show, which debuted on Netflix’s Top 10 list in its premiere week. But Max’s impact extends beyond the cameras and soundstages of Hollywood. It reaches the waterways and terrains that make up our environment and embody our natural world.
Together with his sister, Clare Margaret Donovan, Max has launched Nature’s Negotiators, a nonprofit dedicated to conserving our planet and its ecosystems. The organization’s mission is twofold. The first is to implement conservation easements, which are legal agreements that protect a land’s natural resources and restrict future development. Through these contracts, Nature’s Negotiators hopes to protect the migration routes of vulnerable species, such as elk and caribou.
The second mission is to identify the causes and impacts of endangered ecosystems, and eventually, fund “think tanks” that work towards a sustainable solution and actionable change. One of their first focuses is on the reduced number of native salmon in Alaska. In the near future, Max and his sister hope to organize a think tank that brings together all communities connected to the salmon — hatcheries, fisherman, local government, local Native American tribes, to name a few — to come up with a solution that is agreeable to all.
While Nature’s Negotiators is still in its beginning stages, the pathway to real, effective change is set in motion. Following a meeting with esteemed conservationist Dr. Jane Goodall — “a lifelong hero,” Max tells Seventeen — outreach and education on endangered ecosystems are among their top priorities. “Social media as a tool is huge,” he explains. “We want to get people involved and spread the message around to all communities.” Max’s commitment to conservation in his DNA, and the opportunity to effect change is one he’ll never turn down. Better yet, it’s a “lifelong dream,” he says.
17: Tell us about Nature’s Negotiators and the inspiration behind the nonprofit.
Maxwell Acee Donovan: I grew up in Colorado and have always been surrounded by nature. My mom is an anthropologist, and so she really taught my family and I the importance of giving back and conserving this world that we have and understanding how that works.
She had gone to the Jane Goodall exhibit at the Natural History Museum in Los Angeles, and read all about the Jane Goodall Institute. At a grassroots level, they involve all people in a community to figure out the root cause of an environmental issue, and then solve it in a way that benefits everyone. So that was our jumping off point for Nature’s Negotiators. We wanted to create something that brought disparate stakeholders to the table, where everyone could have a voice, and a solution could be reached that would benefit all. If we ignore one person, then the problem won't be solved. But if we bring everyone to the table, then they can reach a common solution. At least that's the goal.
Then, we hope to raise funds and create conservation easements, so migration routes in the Rocky Mountains, Alaska, and eventually all over the planet, can be preserved. The natural world can be preserved.
17: What can fans and followers do to help support Nature’s Negotiators?
MAD: We are officially a 501c3 nonprofit in California, which is exciting. Soon we’ll be able to accept donations. Meanwhile, my sister and I have been telling everyone we know and spreading the word on social media. It would be absolutely monumental if people repost and tell their friends and family about Nature’s Negotiators. We have a website, naturesnegotiators.org, where people can read more about our mission.
[Editor’s Note: You can soon follow Nature’s Negotiators on social media, and subscribe to their newsletter for real-time updates on projects, fundraisers, and educational opportunities.]
17: Take us back to the beginning. When did your journey in activism and advocacy begin?
MAD: My grandfather works for Habitat for Humanity in Colorado and sits on the board for Trout Unlimited in the Roaring Fork Valley, which is all about sustainable fishing habits. That was one of my first exposures to conservation advocacy. My mom and her work in anthropology and archeology [were a big motivator]. So for a long time, I’ve had this mindset of, if I have an opportunity to make a change, I definitely want to and I'm here to give back and use my voice to spread awareness and help the Earth. This is my first big step, but it's been a lifelong dream.
17: How else do you plan to use your platform for advocacy efforts? Where would you like to see Nature’s Negotiators go in the future?
MAD: With my platform, there are so many wonderful organizations out there, and if I have the opportunity to spread their messages as well as mine, I want to. There’s a lot of good that is being done in the world, and I want to amplify those voices. It would be incredible to see Nature's Negotiators bring on partnerships with those who are vocal in advocacy work. There's a lot of young advocates right now and it would be really cool to get to work with them, and be a voice in our generation to help inspire others.
17: What advice would you give to those looking to get involved in environmentalism?
MAD: One of the first things that comes to mind is the Jane Goodall Institute, which has the Roots & Shoots program in 60+ countries. It's all about getting young people involved in environmental activism. You can go online right now and join. We live in a world where we're all very interconnected and everyone has a voice, which is amazing and so great to see. Giving people the platform to use their voice is crucial.
17: What is the biggest challenge you've faced so far in launching the nonprofit?
MAD: I've been very lucky. I have a good team surrounding me. But I think the hardest part was really fleshing out the mission for Nature’s Negotiators. We had so many ideas swimming around that it almost had become too big. So, we thought, how do we consolidate this into one or two missions that could make an immediate change? Because it’s really in large part about making a change as quickly as possible, especially with these conservation easements. So when we fleshed out those two missions, we were like, OK, we've got something.
17: What has been the biggest highlight?
MAD: Getting to meet Jane Goodall was pretty amazing. She’s been a lifelong hero for my mom and I, so when we got to be in the same room as her, and she brought out Mr. H, the stuffed animal, and we were like, oh my goodness and started crying pretty much immediately after.
17: What does being a Voice of Change honoree mean to you?
MAD: I am so excited about it. My sister had a subscription to Seventeen that I’d steal off of her table, since I think she was in third grade. I love that Seventeen has a platform to highlight these voices. It helps spread the word and it's so incredible to be a part of. I was reading some of the [previous Voices of Change] articles earlier this week and I'm blown away by the young people that have been highlighted. There are so many incredible young Voices of Change, and to be a part of that is really amazing.
Parts of this interview have been edited and condensed for clarity.
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