This event has been cancelled. The Big Oaks Conservation Society (BOCS) and Big Oaks NWR will review whether a scaled back event could be scheduled later in 2022. Outdoor Women at Big Oaks (OWBO) is a one-day event designed to offer women ages 12 and over the opportunity to gain valuable in-the-field skills and knowledge in an environment that encourages fun and success in the outdoors. This exciting program invites women of all ages who want to learn outdoor skills to expand their knowledge by taking courses including fly-fishing, kayaking, canoeing, bird watching, archery, shooting, and much more! All activities begin and end at the beautiful and historic Old Timbers Lodge on Big Oaks. The event is organized by women for women who want to expand their outdoor skills in a fun, supportive environment. See below for info on what a typical event looks like.
COURSE SELECTIONS: Classes will be assigned on a first-registered, first-enrolled basis. Courses include: Archery, Art with Nature, Atlatl Throwing, Backpacking and Backcountry Camping, Backyard Bugs, Bird Watching, Basic Kayaking/Canoeing, Campfire Cooking, Cooking Wild Game, Crossbow Hunting from a Tree Stand, Filleting Fish, Fire Building, Firearm Familiarity, Fly Fishing, Intro to Trap Shooting, Kombucha Basics, Mushrooms:Fungus Among Us, Mushroom Inoculation, Orienteering/map and compass, Pollinators in Your Habitat, Providing Homes for Songbirds, Rappelling, Smartphone Photography, Tai Chai, Wild Edible/Medicinal Plants, Wild Water. For description of courses and what to bring see here.
You have the opportunity to take 4 classes; each 1 hour 20 minutes session is basic and will give you an introductory overview of the topic with varying amounts of hands-on experience. There will be a 10 minute break during and between each session. We will do everything possible to make sure that you get to attend the sessions you most prefer although class sizes are limited per session. An e-mail (or mailed letter if e-mail is not available) will be sent to you confirming your selections. To ensure a course with family and/or friends, please rank and select the courses per group and mail all registrations together.
Every participant will be required to attend a safety and informational briefing first thing that morning.
**In arranging for a timely arrival to Big Oaks NWR on the day of the event, please allow 25 minutes travel time from the refuge entrance to Old Timbers Lodge. Signs will be posted at the refuge to direct you to the lodge.**