Become an Outdoor-Woman: The program that gets women in the great outdoors

Mornin' to everyone drinking out of the garden hose this morning. This is the Wiscampsin Weekly - the email that gets you in the know on the Wisconsin outdoors in 5 minutes or less. New reader? Subscribe here.

Today's matriarchal lineup:

• Become an Outdoors-Woman 👩🏼‍🌾

• Dog lovers guide to the State Parks 🐕

• Unusual sights along the Ice Age Trail 👀 

Wisconsin's Outdoors(wo)men

Everyone knows this guy:

He tells everyone he's hiked the Ice Age Trail "at least a dozen times."

He wears only his hiking boots and trail socks, which he never washes by the way...

His idea of "hygiene" is a dip in the nearest river and a spray of DEET on each armpit.

Point is - he's the braggadocios outdoorsmen, and we all know 'em, smell 'em, and hear 'em as they try to impress everyone they know with their experiences in the wild.

But what about the ladies?

Outdoorswomen are just as plentiful out there, kickin' ass and taking names in various first-ascents, FKTs (fastest-known times), and pursuits grounded in the outdoors.

We just don't hear about 'em as much as the outdoor fellas. *sigh*

So that's what led Wisconsinite Dr. Christine Thomas to create a program focused on women in Wisconsin's outdoors, and it has spread like wildfire.

One woman's quest

Before Dr. Christine Thomas acquired a loooooong list of accolades (like Secretary of Interior, one of 20 "Most Influential Conservationists" in Wisconsin), she was an educator in natural resources at UW Stevens Point.

In the early 90's, she took a gander at the current state of Wisconsin outdoors and thought where the heck are all the women?!

An avid outdoorswomen herself, she wanted to look into the reason why men seemed to be gettin' out 'der more than the women.

Turns out, the ladies do enjoy the outdoors just as much as the fellas, but they were getting turned off by the over-competitiveness of it. "I can count WAY more yellow-headed blackbirds than you!"

So she formed Becoming an Outdoors-Women in Wisconsin (BOW) to provide a fun, supportive environment to teach women the skills they needed to enjoy the outdoors.

It was such a success that, since its formation in 1991, 38 states and six Canadian provinces have provided BOW workshops to tens of thousands of women. Heck ya Dr. Thomas!

BOW workshops

For women of all ages, all experience levels, and all backgrounds, BOW workshops offer hands-on learning in a supportive environment.

And when they say "supportive" environment, they really mean it.

Just take a look at their FAQs, which promises that if you're a snorer, you are among 50% of BOWers there (and that maybe the light sleepers should bring ear plugs).

The original workshop design provides 3 days of sessions in the outdoors, ranging in classes of fly fishing, archery, shotgun and rifle shooting, wildlife habitat, canoeing, kayaking, hiking, camping, nature photography, basic fishing, boat and trailer and more.

They have tons of events coming up all over the state. They ain't too pricey, you may meet a friend, and the instructors are super cool.

Here's a few upcoming classes that caught our eye:

• June 3 - 4: Fly fishing at the Rose Farm, Waupaca

• June 24-25: Handgun shooting basics, Wausau

• Aug 12 - 15: Door County kayaking and Yoga retreat

Pretty neat, right?

If you wanna get more involved in the outdoors, looking to meet some new folks, or just want a fun weekend getaway, give the Facebook page a gander (that's where they post updates).

My, how the tables have turned... See you on the trail, ladies!

This week's Wiscampsin Weekly is brought to you by White Bridge Coffee Co.

Someone asked me recently if I've ever been in love... and the answer is absolutely.

It happened one perfect morning on a camping trip. I woke up in my tent, surprised at the full-night's rest I'd had.

I opened the door to birds, singing hello in the canopy above me. What's more, there wasn't a mosquito to be found. Was this a dream?!

Then I smelled it:

White Bridge Coffee. Kevin, bless his sweet heart, brought a steaming mug over to me. My lips, quivering, touched the delicious treat that was this dark roast, and the rest was history...

Based out of Madison, WI, White Bridge Coffee Co. offers specialty roasts that absolutely knock your socks off (still looking for mine).

What's more, they're 1% For The Planet and donate another 1%+ of revenue to environmental non-profits.

If you're looking for specialty coffee that gives back to our green places, use code "WISCAMPSIN" at check out and get 10% off your first order.

The "Holy Cripes" Moment of the Week❗️

Be bear-aware! A bear was spotted in Franklin, WI, which is becoming more of a common occurrence as bears are coming further south in the last decade, per the WDNR.

Nuts and Seeds 🌰 

🥾 It's a bird! It's a plane! It's a ... stone elephant?: If you love hiking the Ice Age Trail, you gotta take a peek at these five unusual things you'll find (like a plane fuselage, an old root cellar converted for weary hikers...)

🦌 Conserving does: Remember our edition on deer hunting? Well, conservation is still a top priority for the hunters + DNR in Wisconsin, as doe tags will be limited up north after a survey came in that folks were worried about the population being over-harvested.

🐶 Every dog has its day: Especially Lucky, one Sconnie's dog who gets to enjoy all that Wisconsin State Parks have to offer. Her owner, Danielle, wrote A Dog Lover's Guide to Hiking Wisconsin State Parks and boy, is it paw-fect.

See you next week!

A Review from the Trail...

Well, how'd we do this week?

• 🧀🧀🧀🧀🧀 Better than a triple-card run in Cribbaged

• 🧀🧀🧀 Pretty decent hand, but the Crib was a bust

• 🧀 Got skunked