Copyright 2006 by R.D. Mauzy. All rights reserved.

Women seeking the opportunity to improve their outdoor skills are invited to register for the 13th annual “Becoming an Outdoors-Woman” (BOW) program, June 4-6 in Big Bay, 30 miles north of Marquette. The program will be held at Bay Cliff Health Camp, a universally accessible facility, located in a picturesque wooded setting overlooking Lake Superior.

Sponsored by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment, this program offers instruction in more than two dozen kinds of outdoor activities, including canoeing, fishing, hiking, mountain biking, fly-tying, archery, boating, birding, rock climbing and shooting sports. According to Sharon Pitz, the Becoming an Outdoors-Woman U.P. program coordinator, BOW instructors will provide basic and advanced instruction that’s uniquely tailored to each participant’s individual ability – a key reason the participants achieve so much in a short time.

“The best part, for me, is to see all the smiles on our guests’ faces when they have accomplished personal goals or faced down fears in their lives and just want to keep learning even more,” Pitz said. “After a program, most women will comment on how much they’ve learned, how tired they are – but it’s a ?good tired’ – and that they just can’t wait to try out their new skills and come back with friends to learn even more.”

The $175 registration fee includes all food and lodging, as well as most equipment and supplies (except as noted in the registration materials). Participants will be housed in a dorm-style facility with numerous amenities, including a pool, sauna, tennis courts, hiking and biking trails and easy access to Lake Superior.

Becoming an Outdoors-Woman workshops are for women, 18 and older, who wish to learn outdoor skills in a relaxed, noncompetitive atmosphere. The U.P. BOW program also includes special evening programs, such as birding hikes, group bonfires and more.

Early registration is recommended. Class information and registration materials are available online at www.michigan.gov/bow. For more information, contact Sharon Pitz at the DNRE office in Marquette at 906-228-6561 or e-mail pitzs@michigan.gov.

For more information on all of these programs and more, call 517-241-2225, email DNR-Outdoors-Woman@michigan.gov or visit www.michigan.gov/bow.