Contact:  Sharon Pitz, 906-228-6561 or Debbie Munson Badini, 906-226-1352
Agency: Natural Resources

Women seeking to improve their outdoor skills can now register for the 14th annual Becoming an Outdoors-Woman (BOW) summer program, held Friday, June 3, through Sunday, June 5, in Big Bay, a picturesque community overlooking Lake Superior 30 miles north of Marquette.

Sponsored by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, this BOW program offers instruction in more than two dozen kinds of outdoor activities, including kayaking, canoeing, fishing, mountain biking, fly-tying, archery, geocaching, boating and birding.

Volunteer BOW instructors provide basic and advanced instruction that is uniquely tailored to each participant's individual ability, helping the participants learn the basics in a short amount of time.

The $175 registration fee includes all food and lodging, as well as most equipment and supplies (except as noted in the registration materials). Participants will be housed in a dorm-style facility at the universally-accessible Big Bay Health Camp, with numerous amenities, including a pool, sauna, tennis courts, hiking and biking trails and easy access to Lake Superior. The BOW summer program also includes special evening programs, such as birding hikes, group bonfires and more.

Becoming an Outdoors-Woman workshops are for women, 18 and older, who wish to learn outdoor skills in a relaxed, noncompetitive atmosphere. Early registration is recommended as the workshops tend to fill quickly. A limited number of BOW Scholarships are available to help low-income participants with the cost of registration. Class information and registration materials are available online at www.michigan.gov/bow. For more information, contact Sharon Pitz at the DNR office in Marquette at 906-228-6561 or e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

For more information about the various Becoming an Outdoors-Woman programs offered in Michigan, go online to www.michigan.gov/bow.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is committed to the conservation, protection, management, use and enjoyment of the state's natural and cultural resources for current and future generations. For more information, go to www.michigan.gov/dnr.