Rebecca Manzi From aviation to sea turtle conservation: The extraordinary life of Ila Fox Loetscher, the “Turtle Lady” who made her mark on conservation.
@Sea Turtle, Inc.
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There are a few people, over the course of their lifetime, who manage to make an everlasting mark in entirely different fields. Ila Fox Loetscher was one: first a pioneering pilot, afterward an indefatigable fighter for sea turtles. Her story is a glorious testament to perseverance and passion for nature, the way destiny took her to unimaginable but just as motivational pathways.
The pioneer’s early years
Ila Fox Loetscher was born on October 30, 1904, in Iowa and was among the first women to hold a pilot’s license. She was the first woman to be licensed in Illinois and Iowa and was a pioneer in aviation. With the award of her flying certificate in 1929, she was recruited by Amelia Earhart to be a member of the “Flying 99s,” an elite women’s flying club of pilots dedicated to promoting the rights of women in aviation.
A new mission: environmental conservation
Although successful as a pilot, Ila’s life took a different turn with the death of her husband during the 1950s. She moved to South Padre Island, Texas, where she discovered a new passion that would shape the rest of her life: sea turtle conservation. Specifically, she struggled to save the Kemp’s ridley turtle, one of the smallest and most endangered species, found mostly in the Gulf of Mexico.
The founding of “Sea Turtle, Inc.”
Ila began participating in expeditions to Mexico with other volunteers in 1966 to collect turtle eggs and move them to safer locations on South Padre Island, beyond the reach of poachers. Her work led to the founding of “Sea Turtle, Inc.” in 1977, a non-profit corporation which aims to increase public awareness of sea turtle conservation and provide rehabilitation for injured turtles.
the fame of the “turtle lady”
Due to her diligence, Ila was a legendary icon locally, globally, and throughout the country. She became known as the “Turtle Lady” due to her diligence in protecting turtles and spreading scientific information. She was interviewed on TV shows like The Tonight Show and Late Night with David Letterman and was an overnight sensation. Famed oceanographer Jacques Cousteau dubbed her a “Wavemaker” for being an environmentalist supporter.
A legacy that lives on
Ila Fox Loetscher passed away on January 4, 2000, at the age of 95, but her legacy for sea turtle protection continues through “Sea Turtle, Inc., “which remains very much involved in animal and environmental protection as well as environmental education. Her vision, developed in an era when environmental protection was not yet a central concern, is a tribute to commitment and vision.
Source: Sea Turtle, Inc.
