User:ViennaGautrey/Florence Rucker Collins

Florence R. Collins (1921-2015) was a skilled aviator whose curiosity fueled a life of amazing exhibitions into the wilderness for studies with the U.S. Geological Survey, around Fairbanks, Alaska. She contributed a great deal to the community with her advocation for subsistence.

Early Life
Collins was a scientist right from childhood with her curiosity about the world and a love for reading; Her favourite question was "Why?". As she grew up, her personal interests lay in paleontology, however, once she reached college age, the Second World War was in full tilt. Due to the war, there were more opportunities for women in geology than her preferred interest. In college Collins met her lifelong friend Florence Robinson Weber, the pair quickly became close friends, even giving each other the nicknames Ru (Rucker) and Ro (Robinson), abbreviations of their surnames.

The pair's aviation journey started in 1950 when the two friends purchased a Cessna 140. Interestingly, they purchased the Cessna before either of them even had a driver's license. At this time, as a result of the Second World War, major rationing made it easier to get aviation fuel than it was to get automobile fuel. With their Cessna, the duo flew to Alaska where they spent the next 6 years exploring the alpine wilderness. The pair soon needed to get a plane better suited to their geological studies, so they bought a SuperCub floatplane in 1956. This plane was nicknamed the "Green Monster". Due to a lack of fuel stations for floatplanes in the 1950s, bringing this plane back to Alaska was a risky endeavour.

Family
Collins, along with friends Florence Robinson and Nancy Baker, purchased property on the shore of Lake Minchumina. Soon after, when Florence began spending time at said lake, she met her future husband, Dick Collins. Dick, like Florence, was also a pilot, and he worked at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) station at the lake. On April 13th, 1957, in Christiansburg Virginia, Florence and Dick were married. Her long-time friend Florence Robinson was by her side at the wedding. The married couple would go on to have three children; their firstborn child, Ray, followed not long after by twin daughters, Miki and Julie, who became known as the "Trapline Twins." Florence and Dick would also have two grandchildren, Richard and Karen, children of their son Ray and his wife Frankie.

Education
Collins attended the University of Chicago to study geology during the Second World War. Her time in university opened many doors for her, even introducing her to her future friend. Collins met Florence Robinson Weber on a school project and they became lifelong friends. This was also the time she went to a WWII exhibit on fighter aircrafts and gained an interest in aviation. Learning how to fly was the first step to her Alaskan lifestyle taking off.

Research
Collins' research was primarily focused on exploring the Naval Petroleum Reserve in Alaska and the surrounding areas. Her team's research focused on drilling holes in the earth and studying where oil may be abundant. They also studied the layers of rock as well as the fossils they found in order to gather geologic data of the area. After many holes had been drilled around a specific area, the team would compile findings to establish stratigraphic data. They would also use seismic and gravity surveys in the drilled areas to establish the structure of the area. The structure of the area specifically refers to how deep the different layers from periods of time lay, and the composition of these similar time periods.

Accomplishments
Collins had an incredible commitment to conservation efforts in Alaska. Collins' commitment can be seen through the Northern Alaska Environmental Center (NAEC), an organization for which she was one of the founding members. This organization presents an award for "significant contribution to conservation in Alaska" which they named the "Florence Collins Award" as a tribute to Collins. In 2007, 8 years before her death, she received an award for "lifetime achievement" from the National Park Service.