Given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and its associated necessary limits on social gatherings, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources has canceled the annual winter Becoming an Outdoors Woman workshop.
The annual weekend event is held in February at the Bay Cliff Health Camp in Big Bay in Marquette County. A similar summer BOW workshop takes place the first weekend in June at Bay Cliff.
“We are optimistic that we will be able to host a 2021 summer BOW workshop, although it could potentially look different from past years,” said Michelle Zellar, DNR BOW coordinator. “For now, we will be doing some Instagram live events, featuring some of our BOW instructors and committee members.”
For more than two decades, the DNR has operated its popular Becoming an Outdoors Woman program in the Upper Peninsula.
The program’s workshops are taught by volunteers, many from the DNR, giving women from across the Midwest and elsewhere in the country valuable opportunities to learn about and try outdoor recreation activities in a nurturing environment, thereby boosting their self-esteem, confidence and abilities.
During the winter 2019 workshop, women attended from as far away as California, Arizona and Georgia. Check out a winter BOW video to get a glimpse of the gatherings.
In addition to the annual summer and winter weekend BOW sessions, several “Beyond BOW” programs – smaller groups with a centralized focus – have also been offered on a limited basis for several years, including some outings in the Lower Peninsula.
For the latest BOW news, sign up to receive BOW email notifications via the DNR’s BOW webpage at Michigan.gov/BOW. Registration for the program’s summer workshop opens in the spring and fills up quickly. Email notifications are the best way to stay informed.
During the winter 2019 workshop, women attended from as far away as California, Arizona and Georgia. Check out a winter BOW video to get a glimpse of the gatherings.
