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Review: ‘Untamed’ captures woman conservationist

By WTOP Staff

KEVIN BEGOS
Associated Press

“Untamed: The Wildest Woman in America and the Fight for Cumberland Island” (Grove Press), by Will Harlan

Boys and men who love the rugged outdoors have long had plenty of role models, from James Fenimore Cooper’s Deerslayer to Huck Finn and Teddy Roosevelt. But what about women who prefer woods and swamps to modern society?

Will Harlan’s “Untamed” tells the thought-provoking and occasionally tragic story of Carol Ruckdeschel, who has spent much of her life living on and fighting to protect Georgia’s Cumberland Island and its creatures.

As a child, Ruckdeschel loved creeks, woods and all the critters in them. She once brought a 2-foot snapping turtle home and hid it in the bathtub for a week — and got a whipping. She learned to collect and eat roadkill, took in a baby bobcat and baffled and attracted men with her combination of natural beauty and tomboy toughness.

Harlan skillfully captures the many layers of Ruckdeschel’s personality, from her love of sea turtles to her at times torturous relationships with other strong-willed women, the National Park Service and various lovers. Ruckdeschel shoots one abusive ex-husband dead, leading to endless small-town gossip, and spends considerable time studying the rotting carcasses of sea turtles.

Readers come away with a poignant sense of a gifted woman who could have been a great marine biologist or national environmental figure, except for two problems: One was the sexual discrimination Ruckdeschel faced in the male-dominated South of the 1960s, and the other was her own ambivalence about being anywhere other than the beaches and woods of Cumberland Island.

In that sense, “Untamed” succeeds in telling a moving story not just about the environment, but also about how society limits some gifted women who don’t fit traditional role models. Ruckdeschel isn’t just fighting to save Cumberland Island, she’s fighting for the right to live simply on her own terms: in a swampy shack, foraging for her food, away from much of humanity.

The book has a few minor shortcomings. Ruckdeschel is a passionate defender of sea turtles, but she wasn’t the first or only one to fight that battle. For example, the late University of Florida biologist Archie Carr began his important sea turtle work shortly after World War II, before Ruckdeschel settled on Cumberland Island.

But “Untamed” doesn’t aim to be another book about sea turtles, but rather one about how some people are passionately in love with wild places. It’s a profound, inspiring biography of a unique American woman who’s earned her place alongside Huck Finn, Thoreau and other heroic wanderers.

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Follow Kevin Begos at https://twitter.com/kbegos

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Online:

http://will-harlan.com/

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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