Native Son

No better sense of the man can be drawn than the story by Anders Morley for NH Magazine (2016). Please take a few minutes to acquaint yourself with John should you not have met him or read his work.

John and I knew each other initially as sheep farmers who loved coyotes. We were a rare breed at the time because coyotes were so poorly understood and feared. He admired their persistence and tenacity and their oftentimes playful nature. Many a night we would venture to his rooftop and howl for the pure pleasure of hearing them. Neither of us ever lost a sheep to a coyote.

His home was his castle and his camp; He often said “My front door is never locked, and all manner of humanity comes through here. They all teach me something.” For John, there were no strangers. He was a sweet and generous person who could also be tough as nails. He embodied so much of the North Country – the land and the people he loved deeply and defended mightily. At the end of his life, he relished his books, his porch time with its generous view, and of course his ‘wood fire’ which comforted him as he ailed. There are many of us who loved him and who he loved in return.

John and I started the NH Wildlife Coalition as a spirited defense of predators, with the idea that the Canada lynx, American Marten, eastern coyote, foxes, bobcat, and fisher play critical roles in maintaining forest health. He also believed passionately that wildlife belongs to no one and to everyone: that all NH residents should ‘have a seat the table’ at NHF&G.

We hope you will donate to the John Harrigan Scholarship Fund to enable future writers to pursue journalism and conservation.