Sea Camp dock temporarily closed
Sea Camp dock will be closed for a few weeks while the dock is rebuilt. For the rest of September, the ferry stops at Dungeness dock. From there, the National Park Service transport campers up to Sea Camp by bus.
50 Years of Neglect
The Wilderness Act turned 50 last year. But how has the National Park Service handled wilderness issues over the past five decades? Jim Walters, who spent nearly 40 years working for the agency, including serving as Wilderness Program Coordinator for the Intermountain Region from 1988 until he retired in 2003, says the agency has not rallied around the Act. Read his […]
Razing the Wilderness
Cumberland Island managers have approved the regular clearing and razing of vegetation alongside roads and trails in the wilderness. Many reptiles and other animals are killed during the razing of the wilderness edges, and the noisy, destructive clearing certainly does not protect the solitude, scenery, and serenity of the wilderness experience for hikers. The National Park Service argues that the denuding […]
Fired Up
The new fire management plan for Cumberland Island has serious flaws, says Carol Ruckdeschel. Here’s why.
Managing Wilderness: An Oxymoron
Carol Ruckdeschel offers a quick wilderness primer.
Spaceport proposed across from Cumberland
A spaceport has been proposed directly across from Cumberland Island. The private launchpad could lead to park closures, pollution, and problems for wildlife.
Fire on the Island
Carol Ruckdeschel explains how fire mismanagement is damaging Cumberland Island and why Cumberland needs a better plan.
Canaveral Whistleblower Wins Again
Carol Ruckdeschel isn’t the only watchdog keeping an eye on the National Park Service. Dr. Candace Carter, a biological technician on Cape Canaveral National Seashore, has faced repeated harassment by the National Park Service after she pointed out its illegal procurement practices. Even after she pointed out years of illegal actions, National Park Service Director Jon Jarvis declined to […]
Sea Turtle Stranding Mystery
Dead sea turtles have been washing ashore in Cape Cod in record numbers. Since mid-November, volunteers have found nearly 1,200 stranded turtles, almost all young Kemp’s ridleys, the most endangered of turtle species. That is almost three times as many as in the previous record year, and many more times the number in an average year. The turtles appear to […]
Carol: Conservation Hero of the Year
Carol Ruckdeschel was named Wild South’s Conservation of the Year in 2014. Her lifetime of scientific work on Cumberland Island National Seashore distinguished her from an impressive slate of fellow wilderness warriors. She was noted especially for her work to help defend Cumberland Island’s Wilderness and her 44-year effort to protect the island’s nesting sea turtles. “Carol is who we […]