For Ladies only
Phil Taunton
Friday, May 18, 2007
You talk about a rude awakening. I just visited the pumps Thursday evening to fill up the truck in order to get outdoors this weekend for a little wild turkey hunting and fishing.
Outdoor adventures are getting pricey.
Seventy three dollars and twenty one cents later, I barely had enough money left after paying for the gasoline to get a token bag of Piggy Pops, but hunting and fishing I will go.
Ladies, Camp Alexander and the National Wild Turkey Federation have a deal for you.
Women ages 14 and older have an opportunity to spend a day learning how to have fun in the outdoors during the annual Women in the Outdoors Ladies Day Out at Camp Alexander just east of Emporia on June 2.
Women in the Outdoors (WITO) is an outreach program of the National Wild Turkey Federation. Each year, events are held throughout North America where experts instruct courses designed just for women to be held in a comfortable, safe manner. A recent study, commissioned by the NWTF and funded through a grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, shows participants of Women in the Outdoors events have increased their involvement in outdoor activities such as fishing, hiking, backpacking and outdoor photography by more than 40 percent.
The Ladies Day Out, hosted by Camp Alexander, will include instruction in archery; Dutch oven cooking; canoeing basics; fly, pond and river fishing; bee keeping; Nature’s spa; fur harvesting; introduction to hunting dogs and much more. Lunch is included in the registration fee and there also will be door prizes, a silent auction, and a raffle.
“We expect a great turnout for this event and are featuring 29 outdoor classes and activities,” said Ellen Benitz, Women in the Outdoors regional coordinator. “This is going to be a top-notch event because of the strong committee of volunteers who organized the event and the hospitality of the folks at Camp Alexander.”
Basic shotgunning and firearm safety will be taught by Roger Wells, who is a certified 4-H shooting sports instructor. The Lyon County 4-H shotgunning team coached by Roger and consisting of Jake Ewing, T.J. Heins, John Roberts, Matt Bazil and Austin Whitmore was crowned state champions at the 4-H state shooting sports event last October.
Roger has been asked to coach the Kansas 4-H shotgunning team and he, along with team members Matt Bazil and Austin Whitmore, will represent Kansas at the National 4-H Shooting Sports Invitational in Rapid City, South Dakota, June 24-28, 2007.
The $45 cost of attending the Ladies Day Out event includes a membership in the Women in the Outdoors program and a subscription to Women in the Outdoors magazine. The WITO publication is a full-color, quarterly publication with articles and information on a variety of outdoor adventures and activities.
For directions or more information about the Ladies Day Out at Camp Alexander, contact Sara Shaw, Women in the Outdoors event coordinator at 342-1386 or campgirl92@yahoo.com, or Ellen Benitz, NWTF Women in the Outdoors regional coordinator at (816) 387-6606 or nwtfbenitz@socket.net
The NWTF’s Women in the Outdoors program reaches out to women of all ages to encourage and support their interest in conservation and outdoor activities. Started in 1998, Women in the Outdoors now reaches nearly 45,000 members, and partnerships with 19 state wildlife agencies and 18 corporate sponsors. In 2006 alone, NWTF chapters hosted nearly 400 Women in the Outdoors events offering activities such as fishing, camping, canoeing, hiking, hunting and shooting.
For more information about the Women in the Outdoors program, visit the Web site at www.womenintheoutdoors.org or call (800) THE-NWTF.