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This One’s For the Girls – Upcoming Outdoor Event for Women

National Wild Turkey Federation

EDGEFIELD, S.C. --(Ammoland.com)- The Michaux-Yellow Breeches and Shippensburg Strutters chapters of the National Wild Turkey Federation will host a “Women in the Outdoors” event on Saturday, Aug. 27, from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. at Bass Pro Shops in Harrisburg.

Pre-registration is required for this event. Registration can be done by going to www.womenintheoutdoors.org, and then clicking on “PA WITO Event Manager Calendar” and then searching the calendar.

A beneficial partnership between the National Wild Turkey Federation and the Pennsylvania Game Commission helps provide outdoor opportunities such as this to women in the Keystone State. The Pennsylvania Game Commission recognizes a high interest level in the outdoors among women in the state and wants to provide more opportunities to enjoy the outdoor lifestyle.

Since 1998, the NWTF’s Women in the Outdoors program has organized events designed especially for women. By providing expert instruction and hands-on education, the NWTF helps members develop outdoor skills and emphasizes the importance of wildlife management and the role of hunters in conservation.

“Our program is about encouraging women to try new outdoor activities in a safe environment that makes them feel at ease,” said Brenda Valentine, NWTF Spokeswoman, First Lady of Hunting™ and host of the NWTF’s “Turkey Call” TV show airing on Pursuit Channel, and Bass Pro Shops’ “Real Hunting” TV show. “This event is also an opportunity for women of all walks of life – singles, moms, daughters, young and old – to spend a day outdoors, away from home, having fun and making new friends.”

The combination of sponsorship, such as the Game Commission and local chapter support, allows the NWTF to offer these programs at a low cost to participants. The cost of attending each event includes a subscription to Turkey Country, the NWTF’s full-color publication. Turkey County includes stories about the Women in the Outdoors, JAKES (Juniors Acquiring Knowledge, Ethics and Sportsmanship), Wheelin’ Sportsmen, NWTF outreach programs, conservation issues, turkey calling and hunting, education programs and much more.

“The Women in the Outdoors program allows the NWTF to reach an entirely new audience, one that has the potential to benefit conservation efforts,” Valentine said. “It’s an opportunity for women to find great satisfaction and enjoyment in the outdoors.”

For more information about the event, contact Melissa Henry at 717-226-1520. For more information about the NWTF visit www.nwtf.org or call (800) THE-NWTF.

About the NWTF: The National Wild Turkey Federation is a nonprofit conservation organization that works daily to further its mission of conserving the wild turkey and preserving our hunting heritage.

Through dynamic partnerships with state, federal and provincial wildlife agencies, the NWTF and its members have helped restore wild turkey populations across the country, spending more than $331 million to conserve 15.9 million acres of habitat for all types of wildlife.

The NWTF works to increase interest in the outdoors by bringing new hunters and conservationists into the fold through outdoor education events and its outreach programs – Women in the Outdoors, Wheelin’ Sportsmen, JAKES and Xtreme JAKES.

The NWTF was founded in 1973 and is headquartered in Edgefield, S.C. According to many state and federal agencies, the restoration of the wild turkey is arguably the greatest conservation success story in North America’s wildlife history. To learn more, visit www.nwtf.org or call (800) THE-NWTF.

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Missouri Department Of Conservation Summer Workshop Helps Women Discover Nature
Discover Nature Women summer workshop teaches women practical outdoor skills.
Written by Rebecca Maples, MDC

Amy Huff hopes to use the archery skills she learned at MDC’s Discover Nature Women 2011 summer program to help her 10-year-old daughter.

Missouri Department of Conservation

JEFFERSON CITY Mo --(Ammoland.com)- Some things are better when shared. The Missouri Department of Conservation’s (MDC) recent Discover Nature Women summer workshop showed that nature is one of those things.

With the program’s highest attendance ever, more than 130 women participated in the 2011 event held at Windermere Conference Center in Roach, Mo., June 3-5. Some attended to gain valuable outdoor experience, some to spend a weekend with friends and family and others to make a grandmother-mother-daughter getaway.

“Discover Nature Women (DNW) provides a safe and friendly environment where women experience hands-on outdoor skills training at the beginner level, taught by a team of longtime professionals,” said MDC Education Programs Supervisor Kevin Lohraff.

Courses include fishing, basic hunting, an introduction to firearms, archery, shotgun shooting, camping, canoeing, map and compass reading, fly tying and Dutch-oven cooking. DNW offers a two-year program that allows participants to complete four courses each year for a total of eight core courses. The weekend is targeted to women 18 years and older, along with young women age 14-17 when accompanied by a woman 18 years or older.

“Not everyone has a chance to learn these outdoor activities or someone who can teach them,” Lohraff said. “Discover Nature Women is about helping women do things they might not be able to do otherwise.”

A FAMILY AFFAIR
Many women attend DNW to learn and spend time with family. It was a tri-generational outing for Sandi Rice’s family. Rice, who lives in Pittsburg, Mo., attended with daughter Christy Jolly and granddaughter Jessica Jolly, who live in Kansas City. Rice had attended a previous MDC women’s event, but her daughter made the decision to come to DNW.

“I just thought, ‘What a great opportunity to do this together,’” said Christy.

Grandmother and mother were thrilled to share the experience with Jessica, who tied her first fly during the program and took it fishing at her grandmother’s nearby home that evening.

Elizabeth Gann of Waynesville, Mo., came with her sister, Shirley Beer, who lives in Pittsburg, Kan.

“We don’t get to see each other very often,” Gann said. “This is a great way for us to spend some time together and do something we don’t normally do.”

Gann said she initially thought the workshop would teach her some outdoor skills she could practice with her husband, who hunts and fishes.

“Then I thought, ‘No, this is about learning things for myself and spending time with my sister,’” Gann said.

GIRLS’ WEEKEND OUTDOORS
Friends Amy Huff of Fenton, and Stephanie Allstun of Ballwin, made the trip to learn outdoor skills from experts along with other women at similar skill levels.

“The instructors here are just so knowledgeable,” Allstun said. “They live it; they breathe it; they love it.”

“I wanted to be taught by someone with patience who was a good teacher,” Huff said. “They made me feel comfortable that I was learning it the right way.”

Huff said she looks forward to using her new archery skills with her 10-year-old daughter, Aubrey Stuart, who started learning archery at Meramec Heights Elementary School this past year. Her school participates in the Missouri National Archery in the Schools Program, which is coordinated by MDC. Stuart was the top fourth-grade girl at the Missouri state tournament. She placed 20th out of 188 fourth- grade girls at the National Archery in the Schools Program national tournament in Louisville, Ky.

EXPERIENCE TO LAST A LIFETIME
Lori Gale of Festus attended DNW with her friend Amanda Sloan. But for Gale the weekend was about more than just fun. Gale is a year away from finishing her degree in fisheries and wildlife management at Oregon State University, and she received an internship credit for attending the workshop. Ultimately she wants to work in a wildlife-related field, possibly as a conservation agent.

“It was nice coming here and talking to experts in the field,” Gale said.

While she has prior experience in outdoor activities, Gale said the workshop built on her own knowledge, solidifying some of her fishing and compass skills.

ALWAYS SOMETHING TO DISCOVER
“Discover Nature Women is just another way MDC makes Missouri a great place to hunt, fish and enjoy nature,” Lohraff said.

“Whether novices or experienced outdoorswomen, participants gained practical outdoor skills that will help them discover nature long after DNW’s conclusion,” said MDC Education Outreach Coordinator Amy Francka. “All weekend I heard nothing but positive comments from the women who attended the event. Most women were first-time attendees and already wanted to know when they could register for next year.”

For more information on MDC’s Discover Nature Women program, visit www.missouriconservation.org.

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