Becoming an Outdoors Woman offers opportunity to get outside

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Becoming an Outdoors Woman holds a fly fishing event. Photo credit Angel Portice

With warmer weather rolling into Michigan, many people are looking for ways to enjoy the outdoors. The Department for Natural Resources’ Becoming an Outdoors Woman workshops encourage women from all experience levels and ages to explore outdoor recreation.

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According to Program Director Michelle Zellar, skills and knowledge about the outdoors have been as useful as ever throughout the pandemic.

Zellar said, “With COVID, we’re seeing more and more people who just need to go out, who want to go out. There’s things they just don’t think about and sometimes people are careless without even realizing they’re being careless. Things happen. I know last year alone in just the Upper Peninsula we had several casualties from people just going out into the wilderness. Several young college students passed away from hypothermia by being out there and not prepared … You just never know what can happen out there and the little things that you never would have thought about are tips that these instructors give you that are just amazing and potentially life saving.”

The BOW program includes instruction on outdoors activities, including one-third hunting or shooting sports, one-third fishing, and one-third non-consumptive or non-harvest related activities. Women can choose from 32 classes such as firearm safety, kayaking, wilderness survival and much more.

BOW’s traditional winter and summer programs are held at the Bay Cliff Health Camp in Marquette, Michigan. Due to the pandemic, the 2021 winter workshop was cancelled. Zellar is optimistic the summer program will take place following COVID guidelines and with a limited number of participants. In addition to traditional programs, BOW holds beyond workshops.

Zellar said, Beyond workshops “are held anywhere throughout the state. Those are geared towards smaller participants, specific activities, or smaller groups of specific activities. For example, we might have a mother- daughter event that surrounds kayaking, camping, foraging for edible plants, or a winter sports weekend where we do cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and ice fishing.”

While outdoor sports and activities often attract males, BOW creates a unique opportunity for women to learn about the outdoors. For many women, this knowledge and instruction is empowering. After attending a firearms safety class led by one of BOW’s young, female instructors, Zellar saw how beneficial these programs can be for women.

Zellar said, “One of the ladies, probably middle aged, said, “‘The fact that you showed me and explained every component of this firearm, what they do and how the mechanisms work is what makes me comfortable using this and learning to shoot. Nobody’s ever taken the time before. Everybody’s always had this stigma. I’ve always thought to be afraid of it, and that only certain people can handle it. You’ve just made me feel so comfortable.’”

The program relies on more than 70 volunteer instructors, many of whom began as participants. While most instructors are women, some are men. Zellar said the male instructors add a positive reinforcement to the program by actively empowering women.

Zellar said, “Some of our strongest advocates are actually men. It’s really nice because some women have actually had poor experiences with men in the outdoors and for them to be able to come to our program and have some of our male instructors who are extremely patient, extremely supportive, and very empowering … it’s nice for them to be able to see the different side of it. To see that not only were they very supportive and knowledgeable but you know what, I can do this.”

BOW holds Instagram live events to continue educating others on the outdoors throughout the pandemic. It also sends newsletters to subscribers. Go online for informati0n on Becoming an Outdoors Woman or signing up. Find them on Instagram @bow_michigan.

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