|
||||||
 In the last five years there has been an 80% increase in nationwide programs to enhance women's participation in outdoor sports and activities. To learn more about these programs, check out the websites of these innovative, women-friendly organizations that sponsor such educational opportunities:Have you ever wished that you were good at outdoor skills like hiking, camping, bird-watching or fishing, but didn't know how to get started? Then check out www.uwsp.edu/cnr/bow - the official site of the Becoming An Outdoors Woman (BOW) program. BOW began as an experiment at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point to determine whether providing an educational opportunity would be enough to welcome women outdoors. The first workshop filled to capacity proving that women were indeed interested in learning outdoor skills in a supportive and non-threatening atmosphere. BOW now offers outdoor skills workshops for women ages 18 and up in most states throughout North America. Each workshop spans a weekend, beginning at noon on Friday and ending with lunch on Sunday. The weekend is divided into four blocks of instruction, approximately 3 hours each and participants can choose from among seven or eight topics during each time slot. Instructors are carefully selected for their patience, skills, desire to teach and ability to teach beginners with respect. Some are men, most are women, but all are experts in their field and quite diverse. BOW's website includes a comprehensive calendar of all upcoming workshops with links to most individual states' BOW program websites where you can find course topic descriptions and registration information, along with the coordinators' names, telephone numbers and email addresses. Their Web Friends page also lists many links to other women-oriented sites, including "Women Hunters" and "Reel Women". This is an especially great place to start if you're wanting plan a unique, outdoor vacation where you can increase confidence in yourself and your new outdoor abilities! Another outreach program offering outdoor events is the National Wild Turkey Federation's (NWTF) Women In The Outdoors. NWTF's state and local chapters offer one-day events that are low cost, will fit into your busy schedule, and are hosted at some of the most beautiful outdoor education sites in the country. And with your paid registration for a Women In The Outdoors event, you will become a member of the NWTF and receive a t-shirt and a one year's subscription to their informative magazine, Women In The Outdoors. To find out more about this program, go to www.nwtf.org/wito. Here you will find a map of the United States where you can simply click on the state of your choice to learn about that state's events, hunting seasons and more. Of course, Women In the Outdoors events include courses in turkey hunting, but be sure to check out their Events page to find listings of all the other exciting courses typically offered such as primitive cooking, ATV safety and habitat improvement. The site's FAQ's page provides answers to the most commonly asked questions about the Women In The Outdoors program. You can also try some of the tasty recipes found on the Articles page or exchange ideas with other women on their message board. Does your organization want to host a Women In The Outdoors event? Then download their manual to get all the details. Just like their website says: "Learning new skills, meeting people with similar interests, and kicking back in the great outdoors is what the NWTF's Women In The Outdoors program is all about." Women stand at the forefront of many of the Safari Club International's wildlife conservation, education and humanitarian programs. In 1984, the women of the Safari Club International founded Sables, a group concentrating their efforts on the promotion of these programs, including Sportsmen Against Hunger, the American Wilderness Leadership School, and the International Wildlife Museum. At www.safariclubinternational.org/sables, women can learn how to become more involved in these worthwhile projects. Membership information, a calendar of upcoming events, and more is also available on this website. You can join online and as a member you will receive a subscription to Sables Reflections where you can read about Sables projects, fundraisers and hunts. To Sables members, conservation means more than just "sustainable use", it means actively ensuring a healthy future for wildlife and all outdoor programs will benefit from such. Another educational website is the Women's Programs page of the National Rifle Association (www.nrahq.org/women). This website is full of valuable information on where you can learn about how to safely handle and shoot a firearm, opportunities to participate in women-only hunts, and how to locate women instructors in your area. See their Women on Target schedule for a full listing of hunts and charity and instructional shoots. This website is also home to the Women of the NRA online newsletter with extensive articles highlighting past hunts, women's issues, and sponsor information. Worried about crime? Here's where to learn how to avoid dangerous situations and escape criminal attack whether you own a firearm or not through NRA's Refuse to Be a Victim program. Concerned about firearms with children in the home? Find out why NRA's Eddie Eagle GunSafe program is the most widely used and accepted accident prevention program in America. |
||||||
|
