David M Carroll

Reviews

"David Carroll writes the best kind of natural history, combining keen observation on an intimate scale with far-reaching thoughts about the nature of nature. He reports in rich detail on the soggy ecology of a New Hampshire wetland, in part to make an argument for wetlands preservation everywhere. Carroll writes with clarity, wit and insight, and makes a strong case for his passion: 'It is in swamps and marshes, freshwater wetlands, that I find my keenest sense of life's past, my sharpest intimations of life's journey in time, and my own moments within the ongoing.' this fine book is illustrated with Carroll's superb drawings."   Christopher Camuto of Audubon, May - June 2000

" In my opinion, David Carroll is right up there with Thoreau, only maybe better, because as far as I know Thoreau wasn't much of an artist and Carroll is a remarkable watercolorist as well as a remarkable naturalist and writer."
Hillary Nelson, a columnist for the Sunday Monitor

"Artist, writer, and environmentalist Carroll completes his 'wet-sneaker trilogy' (The Year of the Turtle; Trout Reflections) with his intimate and impassioned exploration of wetlands throughout the northeastern U.S. ... a patient and gifted observer, (he) returns to the same haunts season after season ... a lyrical and reflective book."
Publisher's Weekly

"Carroll succeeds in creating appreciation for these critically important habitats and a concern for preserving them. This volume, which completes his 'wet sneaker trilogy' (The Year of the Turtle; Trout Reflections), unmistakable belongs in every natural history, environmental, and public library collection." Library Journal

"There is no greater wetland emissary than Carroll, who takes to the funk and spook of a swamp with avidity and returns to masterfully tell of its scarce-visited glories. (He) relates with enthusiasm, always gracefully pitched, the sheer pleasure to be had in visiting wetlands in all seasons... Carroll, no mere maker of lists, also deftly explains why this swamp is populated with red maples (as opposed to American elm) and just what the belted kingfisher are up to. Without sermonizing, he patiently explains the critical role wetlands play in the environment, why only the most profoundly witless would continue to drain and fill them." Kirkus Reviews

"With a keen and practiced eye, Carroll explores vernal pools, swamps, ponds and fens, describing the flora and fauna of each in gripping detail... The prose is precise, visual...but pretty words pale compared to the knowledge imparted. Swampwalker's Journal is rich with facts and data..." Scott LaFee San Diego Union Tribune

"David Carroll's strongest, strangest gift is his ability to speak the language of the flowers, trees, turtles, frogs, and more. Better, he processes and intuitive ability to read and understand whole landscapes and ecosystems. In an era erroneously dubbed The Age of Information, critical information had quickly disappearing: species, habitats, knowledge of place and locale. Carroll is a throwback to another era, when people could read the land, and this book is compelling on that basis alone... As nature disappears, we need more people who speak the language of flowers. As the Book of Life continues burning, we need more David Carrolls." Mike Weilbacher Philadelphia Inquirer

"(Carroll's) celebratory passionate spirit is infectious... A book filled with insights and wonders, Swampwalker's Journal is a vehicle for mediation on man's place in the universe and an expression of reverence for all of creation. It seems a far more religious statement than anything I've read from the advocates of a literal interpretation of Genesis.  'it is my delight and good fortune to have spent a large measure of my life in wetlands,' writes Carroll. Readers of (his books) will feel similarly blessed."  George Gurley Kansas City Star

"David Carroll is a kind of Saint Francis of the Wetlands, ranging the marshes, swamps, bogs and fens of New Hampshire, where he has maintained a long and benevolent kinship with the inhabitants. His interpretations of the natural world to be found there has firm scientific basis, but his gifts of expression, and his respectful affection for all the lives in the saturated environment he knows so intimately." Lee Pennock Huntington Valley News

"In my opinion, Carroll maintains credibility because he has gained as much information as any lone visitor to swamps and marshes can gather over a lifetime of mucky trips. His writing and artwork show us what is left of a landscape that is wet, filled with beauty, sometimes violent, and wild. For now. " John W. Corrigan Concord Monitor