84-year-old ‘wildest woman in America’ has lived on island for 53 years

Carol Ruckdeschel has lived on Cumberland Island for 53 years, preserving its natural state. She meticulously documents the island’s diverse flora and fauna in her field journals. Her dedication led to legislative changes protecting sea turtles from shrimping trawlers. Ruckdeschel sustains herself by living off the land and off the grid. She continues to advocate for the island’s preservation against development proposals.