Becoming an Outdoors Woman Workshop

Women who have always wanted to know how to survive in the great outdoors will have an opportunity to learn just that when the ninth annual Becoming an Outdoors Woman (BOW) workshop is held at Camp Kadimah, Barss Corner, Lunenburg Co., from Sept. 16 to Sept. 18.

This year's workshop will feature a wide array of classes, including sessions in firearm safety, handling and storage; hiking and backpacking; wilderness survival; fly tying and fishing; and kayaking and boating.

The workshop fee of $199 includes HST and provides food, accommodation, equipment, instruction and social programs.

A limited number of partial scholarships are available. Preference will be given to first-time participants, full-time students, single-parents and individuals from low-income households.

"This program has been extremely popular to Nova Scotia women throughout the province," said BOW co-ordinator Judy Clattenburg. "We teach all the skills women need to enjoy all the natural wonders that Nova Scotia's outdoors offers. About 500 Nova Scotian women have taken advantage of this opportunity since we began in 1997."

Originally started in the United States in 1991, Nova Scotia began offering the Becoming an Outdoor Woman program in 1997 to help women overcome social and economic barriers to learning outdoor skills.

In addition to the fall workshop, a winter BOW program provides instruction in winter skills, including cross-country skiing, winter camping and winter survival skills.

The program's provincial sponsors are the departments of Natural Resources and Agriculture and Fisheries, Nova Scotia Health Promotion, and the Nova Scotia Federation of Anglers and Hunters.

Deadline for applications for the fall workshop is Wednesday, Aug. 31. Additional information on the program is available on the Department of Natural Resources' website at www.gov.ns.ca/natr .