Start / National Park After Dark / 316 the wildest woman in america and the fight to protect cumberland island national seashore

316: The Wildest Woman in America and the Fight to Protect Cumberland Island National Seashore.

68 min • 11 augusti 2025

She’s been called the wildest woman in America—and with good reason. Carol Ruckdeschel has wrestled alligators, dissected roadkill in the name of science, and lived off the grid in the wilderness she vowed to defend. But behind the sensational headlines is a sharp, fearless conservationist whose tireless efforts helped protect one of the last truly wild places in the Southeast: Cumberland Island National Seashore. Taking on powerful families and even the National Park Service, Carol waged a relentless fight to preserve the island’s fragile ecosystems—and she won, but the fight isn’t over.

SOURCES:
“Wild Woman Carol Ruckdeschel, the ‘Jane Goodall of sea turtles’ and more,” by Maria Dintino (Nasty Women Writers, 2025).
“Last Stop on the Way to the Cosmos? No Thanks,” by Alexandra Marvar (The New York Times, 2021).
Untamed: The Wildest Woman in America and the Fight for Cumberland Island, by Will Harlan (2014).
“Travels in Georgia,” by John McPhee (The New Yorker, 1973).

For a full list of our sources, visit npadpodcast.com/episodes

For the latest NPAD updates, group travel details, merch and more, follow us on npadpodcast.com and our socials at:

Instagram: @nationalparkafterdark
TikTok: @nationalparkafterdark

Support the show by becoming an Outsider and receive ad free listening, bonus content and more on Patreon or Apple Podcasts. Want to see our faces? Catch full episodes on our YouTube Page!

Thank you to the week’s partners!
Blueland: Use our link to get 15% off your first order.
Ollie: Take the online quiz and introduce Ollie to your pet. Visit https://ollie.com/npad today for 60% off your first box of meals! #ToKnowThemIsToLoveThem
Quince: Use our link to get free shipping and 365-day returns.

Senaste avsnitt