The Northeast Texas Chapter sent care boxes to female soldiers filled with items donated by Women in the Outdoors event participants.

Women in the Outdoors events offer a great platform in which to donate to a favorite charity. Many event committees give back to their communities by asking participants to bring a donated item (such as toys, nonperishable food or personal items for troops serving overseas). Those who donate are entered into a special drawing for a door prize.

NWTF Outstanding Chapter Turkeyville Toms — Battle Creek, Mich.
The Turkeyville Toms Women in the Outdoors event celebrated their 10th anniversary on Sept. 26 at the Centerline Gun Club in Bellevue, Mich. With 58 ladies in attendance and classes ranging from gardening and orienteering to outdoor cooking and recreational shooting, women developed a greater understanding of wildlife conservation and met others who shared their enthusiasm for the outdoors.

Hats off to event coordinator Ronda Giese and her committee for an outstanding job in bringing the Women in the Outdoors program to Michigan for 10 years.

Teresa Carroll
Women in the Outdoors Coordinator

Age-appropriate behavior

Time has a way of sneaking up on us all, and life seems to take us on unexpected journeys. Just ask any woman who has celebrated her 40th birthday and beyond. Past years can seem a blur of diapers, PTA meetings, family vacations and business trips, leaving us to wonder where time flew.

Some of us are empty nesters, desperately trying to find the rewind button to bring our “babies” back home. Others have been met with the detours of life as divorcées or widows, navigating through life on their own again.

Yet a growing number of these women are dusting off their hiking boots, fishing rods and sense of self-accomplishment to enjoy the excitement and personal renewal they’ve found in the Women in the Outdoors program.

Last fall, I met Helen, who was married for 52 wonderful years to the man who also was her hunting and fishing partner. She’s now widowed. With her grown children living out of state, she finds fulfillment in the Women in the Outdoors program where she is able to continue enjoying the outdoors with other like-minded ladies.

"No matter your age — teenager, young mother, middle-aged or in the twilight years of life — you have a place in the outdoors."

Then there’s Marge, who attended her first Women in the Outdoors event in North Carolina last summer. When asked what sparked her interest, she shared that she wanted to find common ground with her adult son who recently developed an interest in hunting and other outdoor activities. While at the event, Marge acquired some new interests of her own, including handgun shooting and kayaking.

It goes to show you’re never too old to learn something new. And no matter your age — teenager, young mother, middle-aged or in the twilight years of life — you have a place in the outdoors. — Teresa