Pat's Wildways: Cumberland Island picnic

It was not a usual trip to Cumberland Island for me a little while ago. I was on the ferry from St. Marys alone this time, not with a handful of other friends. But I was not going to be alone long. This time I had an appointment on the island — I was having a picnic with Carol Ruckdeschel and her friends, who were meeting me there.

Carol, as some may know, is sometimes referred to as “the Jane Goodall of Cumberland Island.” You can read a lot about her on Google, or better yet read the book all about her, "Untamed, the Wildest Woman in America and the fight for Cumberland Island," by Will Harlan. Carol has lived in a cabin on the far north end of Cumberland Island, away from most people, for 50 years or so and has rigorously defended the natural resources of this place she loves for all of that time. Sometimes her vehemence has caused her to make enemies, but more often she has attracted like-minded friends, like me. I was delighted to meet Carol again, this time on “her” island and to meet her friends, no doubt like-minded strong women too.

When I disembarked from the ferry at the Dungeness dock I was treated to a show — a manatee and her calf were hanging out close to the dock above a shallow oyster bed and while I watched, a much larger manatee also passed by. But enough with the manatees, I came to see Carol. And that didn’t take long. Carol was parked in the shade on her ATV awaiting my arrival. And she was already with someone else, a horse enthusiast, Lora Gibson, who had spent three nights camping at Sea Camp on Cumberland and even taken a $75 tour to somehow find Carol, which she eventually did. Lora, like many people before her, is concerned and saddened by the awful condition of the famed horses on the island, which receive no care or sustenance from anyone and are just left to thrill tourists and live a short and painful existence. And for my first hour with Carol, it was all about the horses.

I eventually got tired of this one-track conversation and wandered away to take photographs of the horses nearby, a petunia growing in a tree and other interesting sights. And, strangely enough, during my wandering I found a horse rib bone — a perfect centerpiece to our table to go with the cherries I brought and the searocket greens that Carol brought. I had asked her to bring something “hunted, gathered or scavenged” since that is mostly what she eats. The sea rocket, Cakile was indeed a tasty supplement to the tabbouleh salad and shrimp I brought along. And it was more immediately edible than the meat on a fresh cut hog leg Carol had in a bag of ice on her ATV for her dinner later.

Soon enough, two of her friends, Charlotte Fries and Melissa Sellers, showed up, having taken their newly purchased used powerboat over to the island on their own. We four had a fun time sharing stories, eating homemade food (but not the hog leg) and getting to know each other a bit more. As always, there are some things about the management of Cumberland Island that Carol is concerned about. Now she is worried about a possible National Park Service plan to have a controlled burn in a wilderness designated area where, after Carol’s 50 years of watching, an area that was once denuded of vegetation by grazing and browsing cattle, has flourished since the animals were removed. Now, Carol has seen a climax maritime forest beginning to be established again, and is worried that a controlled burn will stifle nature’s own effort at restoration.

Carol has lots to tell all of us, and we picnickers were right on the same page with her. While Carol told stories about her in-depth knowledge and experience on Cumberland Island, I shared my own stories about raising river otters and studying biodiversity around the world. Good times were had by all, and before long, I am sure, we four will meet again. It is always great to expand my world of strong, knowledgeable and interesting women! Here’s to finding one another!

Pat Foster-Turley, Ph.D., is a zoologist on Amelia Island. She welcomes your nature questions and observations. patandbucko@yahoo.com