David Carroll
Swampwalker Supreme
David Carroll, 64, belongs on a short list of naturalists who have peered into the microcosm of nature and thereby truly enlarged the world. With the eye of an artist, the mind of a scientist, the voice of a storyteller and the soul of a conservationist, he details the ecology of the forest and wetland habitats around New England, especially near his home in Warner. He has published four books detailing his expeditions, and illustrated with precise sketches and maps, including “Self-Portrait with Turtles” (2004), a memoir that describes his lifelong fascination with swamps and the creatures that inhabit them. His job is rewarding, but not lucrative, until this year when his work was recognized by a no-strings-attached MacArthur Foundation grant of $500,000. “I’m still in shock,” says Carroll, when asked about his plans.
New Hampshire Magazine knows where “It” is at. Each November, we identify the state’s most happening people and publish their names and profiles in our annual “It List.”
So what defines an “It” Person?
How about buzz, panache, je ne sais quoi, currency, a person whose time has come, a person of tomorrow, a timeless person, noteworthy, below the radar, in the news, in the know, hot, cool, high impact, slippery, a mover and shaker, a humble saint, a behind-the-scenes operator, a scenery chewer, an unsung hero, a hero who knows how to sing.
It’s a quality that’s hard to define, but you know it when you see it.
Above is one member of the 2006 It List.
