OLYMPIA - Women can learn the basics of fishing, hunting, outdoor stewardship, and other outdoor skills in a September weekend workshop that includes sessions led by Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) experts and other certified instructors.

Washington Outdoor Women (WOW) present and coordinate the annual workshop at Lazy F Camp near Ellensburg on Sept.13-15. Now in its 22 year, WOW is an outdoor skills education program of the Washington Wildlife Federation, a non-profit program dedicated to teaching women outdoor skills and natural resource stewardship.

Certified and experienced instructors will teach 20 classes throughout the weekend on skills such as archery, basic freshwater fishing, fly-fishing, fly-tying, big-game hunting basics, survival, garden for wildlife, Dutch oven cooking, backpacking, outdoor photography, map and compass, and more.

Several WDFW staff members volunteer for the event, including Biologist Stacie Kelsey teaching “Basic Freshwater Fishing,” Biologist Laura Till teaching “Map and Compass,” Biologists Camille Speck and Kris Costello teaching “After the Harvest,” and Biologist Shelly Ament teaching “Wildlife Awareness and Tracking.” In all, 26 instructors volunteer their time and expertise at this WOW workshop to help women confidently connect with the outdoors.

Workshop participants must be at least 18 years old and have a current Washington recreational fishing license to participate in the fly-fishing and basic freshwater fishing sessions.

More information about the workshop, including attendance fees and registration, is available at https://washingtonoutdoorwomen.org/. Partial scholarships from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation are available for first-time participants.

WDFW is the state agency tasked with preserving, protecting and perpetuating fish, wildlife and ecosystems, while providing sustainable fishing, hunting and other outdoor recreation opportunities.