| The coastal town of St. Marys, Ga., is hosting a community-wide celebration in honor of local biologist Carol Ruckdechel’s upcoming 85th birthday as well as her 50-plus years of contributions of scientific knowledge, her unwavering commitment to preserving Cumberland Island’s Wilderness Area, and the inspiration she has provided to others to continue the vital work of conservation and preservation for future generations. The celebration will take place at St. Marys Waterfront Park, Sept. 26, from 10 a.m. to noon, rain or shine. It is free and open to the public. There will be live music, food trucks and book signings, as well as information booths from local conservation groups and a slideshow of Ruckdechel’s work. The mayor of St. Marys, Greg Lockhart, will read a public proclamation. There will be several notable speakers, including Dr. Wayne Clough, former president of Georgia Tech and Secretary of the Smithsonian Institute; Dr. Stephen Cofer-Shabica, former National Park Service Resource Manager at Cumberland Island; Dr. Ken Dodd, former Department of Interior, ret.; David Bernhart, NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries (NMFS), Protected Resources Division, Southeast Regional Office for over 4 decades; Mark Dodd, senior wildlife biologist at Georgia Department of Natural Resources ( DNR); Beth Neely, co-publisher of the Newnan Times–Herald, and a friend of Cumberland Island and Carol Ruckdeschel; Capt. Fred Braman, USN ret., engineer and author, Whitney Labs Associate; Don Barger, Founder and Regional Director of the Southeast Regional Office of the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) for 27 years; and Will Harlan, SE Director and Senior Scientist at Center for Biological Diversity and author of the unauthorized biography, “Untamed: The Wildest Woman in America and the Fight for Cumberland Island.” These esteemed colleagues will offer tributes and anecdotes about Ruckdeschel. Ruckdeschel came to Cumberland Island in 1972 and began her career documenting the unique ecosysem and wildlife found on Georgia’s largest barrier island. The last 50 years of her detailed research, field notes and museum specimen collections have given scientists invaluable insight into the evolving environment found on Cumberland. Her research has been compiled into the book, “A Natural History of Cumberland Island, Georgia.” Officially designated as a National Seashore in 1972 by President Richard Nixon, the island has seen a massive shift in ecological evolution. Ruckdeschel’s dedication to documenting even the tiniest details have led to an overhaul of the shrimping business, protection of sea turtles and other wildlife. She organized one of the earliest sea turtle stranding networks in Georgia, assembled one of the world’s most comprehensive collections of sea turtle data and specimens, and coauthored two books on sea turtles. Often called “the Jane Goodall of sea turtles,” Ruckdeschel has inspired scientists, conservationists, writers, artists, and everyday nature lovers across generations – all while living in rare simplicity on the barrier island. Her Cumberland Island Museum quarterly newsletter gives the public firsthand insight of the current conditions and newsworthy activities from her weekly beach surveys and personal observations throughout the seasons, information that would otherwise be lost. Cumberland Island has one of the staunchest allies in Ruckdeschel, and everyone who would like to celebrate with her is welcome to attend. For more information, contact Melissa Sellers at mbsellers12@gmail.com or Charlotte Fries at frieschar2@gmail.com. | 