Volunteer instructors with the Becoming an Outdoors Woman workshop are bringing some of the program’s most popular topics indoors, with free online courses available June 6 and 7.
Becoming an Outdoors Woman workshops provide an opportunity for women to enhance their outdoor skills through a wide range of hands-on courses, including firearm use, outdoor survival and angling. Volunteer instructors share their expertise and provide instruction in a safe, supportive, and non-competitive atmosphere.
With COVID-19 restrictions preventing the usual hands-on training in a camp setting, participants may join instructors for free, online courses, including:
- Beginner Butterfly Identification;
- Fabulous Fungi and Friends;
- Backcountry Navigation 101;
- Exploring Newfoundland Plants: A Walk in the Woods & Beyond;
- Gear 101: Tech, Tents & Stoves;
- Wild Spring Edibles: Cultivation, Harvesting & Preserving;
- Salmon Fishing 101; and
- Firearm Safety and Storage.
Workshops are completely free and will run approximately 45 minutes with time for questions.
Please check Becoming an Outdoors Woman of Newfoundland and Labrador for information on these online courses, and visit the site regularly as more courses may be added without notice. Videos of the sessions will be posted for viewing for those who cannot participate in the sessions.
The Department of Fisheries and Land Resources offers Becoming an Outdoors Woman workshops in partnership with Friends of Salmonier Nature Park and the exceptional support of volunteer instructors who support this program. Further details on the online courses are available in the backgrounder below.
Quotes
“Thanks to the dedication of our staff and volunteers, annual Becoming an Outdoors Woman workshops are extremely popular and much-anticipated – not only for the instruction and knowledge they impart, but for the camaraderie and outdoor experience participants have come to expect and enjoy. I know these in-person sessions will be sorely missed this summer, but I encourage participants to take in these online workshops to help enhance their own outdoor experiences with family and friends this summer.”
Honourable Gerry Byrne
Minister of Fisheries and Land Resources
“Becoming an Outdoors Woman creates opportunities where women can participate in empowering activities, through which they can also develop a lasting interest in the outdoors. It is crucial that activities such as these are designed with an inclusive, gendered lens in order for individuals to feel welcomed, engaged, and more able to make connections with each other and their outdoor heritage. While COVID-19 restrictions prevent participants from gathering in a camp setting, it is important to see this program continuing in a free, online setting.”
Honourable Carol Anne Haley
Minister for the Status of Women
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Learn more
Becoming and Outdoors Woman of Newfoundland and Labrador
Follow us on Twitter: @GovNL, @FLR_GovNL and @OSW_GovNL
Media contacts
Linda Skinner
Fisheries and Land Resources
709-637-2284, 632-8167
lindaskinner@gov.nl.ca
Nancy Hollett
Office for the Status of Women
709-729-4934, 725-6078
nancyhollett@gov.nl.ca
BACKGROUNDER
Becoming an Outdoors Woman Online Courses
Workshops will run approximately 45 minutes with time for questions. Join in for free at https://meet.jit.si/BecomingAnOutdoorswomanNL No login is required; however, participants are advised to test their connection a few minutes early to ensure their microphones and/or cameras are working. Participants may also join without audio or video and just listen in.
| Saturday, June 6 | Sunday, June 7 |
| 10:00 a.m.
Beginner Butterfly Identification Join naturalist Megan Boucher for a Beginner Butterfly ID Workshop to cover the basics of butterfly identification and learn about some of the more common species around the province.
|
10:00 a.m.
Exploring Newfoundland Plants – A Walk in the Woods & Beyond Biologist Anne Madden will explore Newfoundland and Labrador plants and their ecosystems, including ecology of our native ecosystems, common native Newfoundland and Labrador plant families, the importance of native plant conservation, and trail etiquette tips.
|
| 4:00 p.m.
Fabulous Fungi and Friends Sara Jenkins, mushroom enthusiast and editor of Foray NL’s newsletter Omphalina,, will share how to identify some of Newfoundland and Labrador’s common and favourite fungi species.
|
2:00 p.m.
Gear 101: Tech, Tents & Stoves Avid hiker MacGregor Parent will focus on hiking and the backpacking gear needed for everything from basic day hikes to challenging overnight trips. |
| 6:00 p.m.
Backcountry Navigation 101 Katie Broadhurst and Alice Will are offering an introduction to navigating in the backcountry, including map and compass use. |
4:00 p.m.
Wild Spring Edibles: Cultivation, Harvesting, Preserving Lori McCarthy of Cod Sounds + Eat It Wild will provide an overview of responsible and safe harvesting practices, cultivating wild yeast, identifying spring greens, preservation techniques, and foraging resources. |
| 8:00 p.m.
Firearm Safety and Storage Join Ben Hammett as he covers the basics of firearm safety, gun handling, how to check if a firearm is loaded, and how to safely store and transport a firearm. |
6:00 p.m.
Salmon Fishing 101 Angler Caroline Swan will offer an introductory workshop on salmon angling regulations, required gear, and how to enjoy a safe, fun, day on the river. |