Classes to offer outdoors skills training to women

OLYMPIA -- Women interested in developing outdoor skills will have weekend training opportunities in eastern and western Washington this summer.

Washington Outdoor Women and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife are offering inaugural weekend classes in such skills as archery, backpacking, canoeing, cooking, fishing, shooting and survival.

The eastside workshop is scheduled for Aug. 22 and 23 at Camp Cowles on Diamond Lake. The lake is 50 miles north of Spokane.

The westside workshop is scheduled for Sept. 19 and 20 at the Environmental Learning Center at Deep Lake in Millersylvania State Park. The park is 12 miles south of Olympia.

Participants must be at least 18 years old. The registration fee for each two-day workshop is $150. The fee includes lodging, meals, instruction and a t-shirt. Partial scholarships also are available, with preference given to single-parent and low-income participants.

The classes will be taught by approximately 40 volunteer instructors. Each participant will select three four-hour courses from a list of 16.

All participants also will take a personal preparedness course. It covers physical conditioning, mental preparedness and outdoor ethics.

"Women represent more than half of Washington's population," said Lisa Pelly, chair of the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission. "We want to help and prepare them to enjoy the opportunities and stewardship responsibilities offered by Washington's vast natural resources."

Women wishing to register or receive scholarship information should contact: Kathleen South in Olympia at (360) 902-2251; Ronni McGlenn in Bellevue at (425) 455- 1986 or Alison Block in Spokane at (509) 226-0311. Registration forms may be downloaded from the Washington Outdoor Women's website on the Internet at http://www.washingtonoutdoorwomen.org

Washington Outdoor Women is a nonprofit organization that introduces women to outdoor skills through hands-on training.