Rebecca Manzi Ila Fox Loetscher is famous for having protected turtles for much of her life, raising public awareness of their conservation and offering rehabilitation to injured specimens
@Sea Turtle, Inc.
Ila Fox Loetscher was born on October 30, 1904, in Iowa and grew to become a trendsetter not only in flying but in the protection of the environment, too. “Turtle Lady” was her nickname; she was the first licensed woman pilot in Iowa and Illinois. Licensed as a pilot in 1929, she was invited by Amelia Earhart into the “Flying 99s,” an all-female group of pilots-a great stride toward the emancipation of women.
The dramatic twist that would come later in her life, after her husband’s death in the 1950s, was after she had reached a glorious aviation career. She moved to South Padre Island in Texas, where another passion that would define the rest of her life waiting for her: the protection of sea turtles.
Most of her work concerned the Kemp’s ridley turtle. This is the smallest and one of the most highly endangered species of sea turtles that exist in the Gulf of Mexico, and Ila had dedicated her life to its protection.
How Sea Turtle, Inc. was founded.
In 1966, Ila began making annual trips to Mexico along with other volunteers to gather the eggs of sea turtles and move them to a safety zone at South Padre Island, out of the reach of poachers, so the eggs hatched safely and were able to set their young on safe grounds.
As a result of her dedication, she founded in 1977 the nonprofit “Sea Turtle, Inc.” to raise awareness about sea turtle conservation and rehabilitation of injured turtles.
Ila, in a very real sense, became something of an iconic figure for the local community, but at a national and even international level. Reputedly called the “Turtle Lady,” Ila gained widespread exposure through her causes via TV shows such as The Tonight Show and Late Night with David Letterman. Another event showing her engagement is her meeting with oceanographer Jacques Cousteau, whom she regarded as a “Wavemaker” because of her engagement in environmental activities.
Ila died on January 4, 2000, at the age of 95, but through Sea Turtle, Inc. still goes on with the task of protection and public enlightenment concerning sea turtles’ fragile existence. An exceptional example, indeed, as she comprehended the significance of conservation well in advance of such a subject becoming a mainstream issue, especially in terms of species like sea turtles.
This is something we take for granted far too often, surely when we think about the number of acts of nest destruction still occurring, even just as a prank, without considering the grave harm caused. We are taking away lives that belong to our mutual earth.
Source: Sea Turtle, Inc.
