316: The Wildest Woman in America and the Fight to Protect Cumberland Island National Seashore.
She’s been called the wildest woman in America—and with good reason. Carol Ruckdeschel has wrestled alligators, dissected roadkill in the name of science, and lived off the grid in the wilderness she vowed to defend. But behind the sensational headlines is a sharp, fearless conservationist whose tireless efforts helped protect one of the last truly wild places in the Southeast: Cumberland Island National Seashore. Taking on powerful families and even the National Park Service, Carol waged a relentless fight to preserve the island’s fragile ecosystems—and she won, but the fight isn’t over.
SOURCES:
“Wild Woman Carol Ruckdeschel, the ‘Jane Goodall of sea turtles’ and more,” by Maria Dintino (Nasty Women Writers, 2025).
“Last Stop on the Way to the Cosmos? No Thanks,” by Alexandra Marvar (The New York Times, 2021).
Untamed: The Wildest Woman in America and the Fight for Cumberland Island, by Will Harlan (2014).
“Travels in Georgia,” by John McPhee (The New Yorker, 1973).
For a full list of our sources, visit npadpodcast.com/episodes
For the latest NPAD updates, group travel details, merch and more, follow us on npadpodcast.com and our socials at:
Instagram: @nationalparkafterdark
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Support the show by becoming an Outsider and receive ad free listening, bonus content and more on Patreon or Apple Podcasts. Want to see our faces? Catch full episodes on our YouTube Page!
Thank you to the week’s partners!
Blueland: Use our link to get 15% off your first order.
Ollie: Take the online quiz and introduce Ollie to your pet. Visit https://ollie.com/npad today for 60% off your first box of meals! #ToKnowThemIsToLoveThem
Quince: Use our link to get free shipping and 365-day returns.
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315: NPAD Goes Lights Out. The Butcher Baker of Alaska.
Today’s episode is a collaboration a long time coming! Our friends Josh and Austin of the Lights Out podcast hosted us in their studio during a recent trip to Denver to discuss the extremely disturbing case of Robert Hansen aka The Butcher Baker.
Listen to Lights Out wherever you listen to your favorite shows!
For a full list of our sources, visit npadpodcast.com/episodes
For the latest NPAD updates, group travel details, merch and more, follow us on npadpodcast.com and our socials at:
Instagram: @nationalparkafterdark
TikTok: @nationalparkafterdark
Support the show by becoming an Outsider and receive ad free listening, bonus content and more on Patreon or Apple Podcasts. Want to see our faces? Catch full episodes on our YouTube Page!
Thank you to the week’s partners!
Rocket Money: Use our link to get started saving.
IQBAR: Text PARK to 64000 to get 20% off all IQBAR products and free shipping.
Naked Wines: To get 6 bottles of wine for $39.99, head to NakedWines.com/NPAD and use code NPAD for both the code AND PASSWORD.
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314: Trail Tales 74
Today’s stories include getting schmacked, stinky ghosts, victorian asylums, salty situations and rescues from beyond the grave. Outsiders Only bonus stories available for Patreon and Apple Subscribers!
Listen to Watch Her Cook on Apple and Spotify! Follow us on Instagram
For the latest NPAD updates, group travel details, merch and more, follow us on npadpodcast.com and our socials at:
Instagram: @nationalparkafterdark
Twitter/X: @npadpodcast
TikTok: @nationalparkafterdark
Support the show by becoming an Outsider and receive ad free listening, bonus content and more on Patreon or Apple Podcasts. Want to see our faces? Catch full episodes on our YouTube Page!
Thank you to the week’s partners!
Soul: For 30% off your order, head to GetSoul.com and use code NPAD.
ZocDoc: Use our link to download the ZocDoc app for free.
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313: People Are Food, Too. Kakadu National Park.
Val Plumwood was an Australian philosopher, environmental activist and crocodile attack survivor. During a 1985 trip to Kakadu National park, Val was attacked repeatedly by a crocodile but miraculously survived. The experience completely reshaped her life and her perspective of her role within it.
Sources:
Book: The Eye of the Crocodile
Documentaries: Kakadu: Land of the Crocodile
Articles: The Guardian, National Museum of Australia,
Websites: Val Plumwood, Remembering Val Plumwood, Kakadu National Park, Sightseeing Tours Australia, PBS
For a full list of our sources, visit npadpodcast.com/episodes
For the latest NPAD updates, group travel details, merch and more, follow us on npadpodcast.com and our socials at:
Instagram: @nationalparkafterdark
TikTok: @nationalparkafterdark
Support the show by becoming an Outsider and receive ad free listening, bonus content and more on Patreon or Apple Podcasts. Want to see our faces? Catch full episodes on our YouTube Page!
Thank you to the week’s partners!
Smalls: For a limited time only, get 60% off your first order PLUS free shipping when you head to Smalls.com/npad.
Pagagen: For 15% off your order and a special gift, head to Pacagen.com/NPAD and use code NPAD.
BetterHelp: National Park After Dark is sponsored by BetterHelp. Get 10% off.
Hello Fresh: Use our link to get up to 10 FREE meals and a free item for life.
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The Mother of Science Fiction: Inventing Frankenstein
This week NPAD is on vacation, but as a special treat, we wanted to share an episode of our other podcast, Watch Her Cook, with you. This episode has a few surprising NPAD tie ins, and we are so excited to share it with you all. We will be back to our regularly scheduled National Parks programing next week! - Cassie and Danielle
What began as a vivid dream on a stormy night during the “Year Without a Summer,” after a round of German ghost stories by the fire, would go on to spark the birth of science fiction. In this episode, we will explore Mary Shelley’s journey from her childhood to becoming the author of Frankenstein, and how her imagination–and pain–brought a creature to life that still resonates with us so deeply today.
Listen to Watch Her Cook on Apple and Spotify! Follow us on Instagram
Sources:
• Time: Did a Real-Life Alchemist Inspire Frankenstein?
• Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus
• Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley- Poetry Foundation
• JStore: Mary Shelleys obsession with the cemetery
• Artificial intelligence and Frankenstein- comparative analysis
• Frankenstein or Modern Prometheus: Issues in biomedical science
• Frankenstein at 200: Why hasn’t Mary Shelley been given the respect she deserves?
• Mary Shelley Biography
• This day in history: Frankenstein published
• Smithsonian Magazine- Breaking auction records
For the latest NPAD updates, group travel details, merch and more, follow us on npadpodcast.com and our socials at:
Instagram: @nationalparkafterdark
TikTok: @nationalparkafterdark
Support the show by becoming an Outsider and receive ad free listening, bonus content and more on Patreon or Apple Podcasts. Want to see our faces? Catch full episodes on our YouTube Page!
Hosted by two friends who share a passion for the wilderness and a fascination with what can go wrong there, each week hosts Danielle and Cassie explore the darker side of our National Parks and explore these treasured places in a whole new way - because behind the iconic arches and towering trees lie layered histories, grisly encounters, extraordinary stories of survival, tragic ends and so much more. But it isn’t always chills and thrills. By sharing inspiring tales and their desire for protecting our planet’s wild places, they hope the show will inspire listeners to lace up their own hiking boots and take a walk into the wild to create meaningful adventures of their own.
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