Becoming an Outdoors Woman is an outdoor-skills program that offers women 18 years and up a chance to try new outdoor activities in a supportive and non-competitive environment. More than that though, you’ll also find comradery and 100+ like-minded women to share your time with. I’ve enjoyed it so much that I want to share how valuable this can be. For anyone considering registering, I’ll be describing the activities in this post, and in the next, I’ll provide a description of the logistics and what you’ll need to bring.
What to expect for your activities
For the sake of brevity and interest, I won’t subject you to a description of every single activity I’ve tried. The descriptions on the site when the activities are released are detailed enough to give you a pretty good idea of what the session will entail. Every one I’ve tried has been well organized, educational, and fun. Things like kayaking, fishing & casting, and interpretive walks through the forest have all been on my list, and for anyone that wants to try them, you will find them really enjoyable, and not too strenuous.
The first year I attended, I started with fishing and kayaking. Following these was a shotgun session. Only once before had I ever picked up a gun, so this was pretty much all new and a little bit scary. I didn’t know what to expect.
Y’all. It blew me away. (Not literally – all limbs and appendages are still attached).
We went trap shooting, and everyone involved was extremely committed to making this a really great experience, as well as extremely committed to safety. It was a TON of fun. Instructors took the time to educate us on proper techniques, offered lots of helpful tips, and let us try a variety of guns. It defies logic, but I had no idea how much fun it could be to fire a gun at an inanimate, flying chunk of clay. It was an absolute blast!
More recently, this past year began with some energetic activities – hiking and shooting. Then, I settled indoors for what I thought (or wrongfully assumed) would be a low-key, only mildly informative break from all the action. It was a seminar on honeybees.
Let. Me. Tell. You.
Bees are WEIRD and FASCINATING.
Did you know that the queen decides if a larva is going to be a male or female by controlling whether she fertilizes the egg or not?! Did you know that honey is, essentially, made by bees spitting nectar back and forth a whole bunch? (In a nutshell – for a full description, take the seminar!) This was probably one of the most interesting seminars I’ve attended in my entire life – the instructor totally blew me away with his knowledge, enthusiasm, and dedication to sharing the information. Y’all, if you get the chance to take this – don’t bee shy, do it!
Outside of the sessions, there are also group activities and cabin competitions throughout the weekend, and wildly competitive auctions/draws on Saturday night. So bring your gaming enthusiasm and your quickest reflexes! Be prepared for lots of fun – there’s not much downtime.
No matter what activity you choose, you’re going to enjoy it if you’re willing to engage. I’ve shared these particular experiences with you because I wanted to convey how beneficial it was to step outside my comfort zone and take a chance on activities I wasn’t sure about. The instructors are fantastic, the lessons are well-planned, and the group activities are fun. So register, try new things, and meet some awesome people!
How do the activities run?
Most activities start with a small introductory lesson, followed by some hands-on experience. Naturally, this balance will vary, depending on the activity. Some don’t require much instruction at all – it really depends on what you’re doing.
To learn more about the activities, you can also check out the Becoming an Outdoors Woman NB Facebook page. You’ll find lots of photos and videos from past events.
Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for the next post to get more details on the logistics and what to pack!
“Y’all. It blew me away. ”