OLYMPIA - Women can learn the basics of fishing, hunting, and other outdoor skills at a weekend workshop Sept. 13-15 that includes sessions led by Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) experts and other certified instructors.

The annual workshop at Camp Waskowitz in North Bend, Wash., is coordinated by Washington Outdoor Women (WOW), a non-profit program dedicated to teaching women outdoor skills and natural resource stewardship. WOW, now in its 16th year, is an educational outreach program of the Washington Wildlife Federation.

Instructors will offer 20 different classes on outdoor skills such as archery, freshwater fishing, fly fishing, kayaking, big-game hunting, wild edibles, map and compass reading, wilderness First Aid, survival skills, outdoor photography and more.

Several WDFW staff members serve as volunteer instructors for the event, including biologists Laura Till and Susan Cierebiej, who teach map and compass skills, and Stacie Kelsey, who teaches basic freshwater fishing.

In all, 32 instructors volunteer their time and expertise at this WOW workshop to help women re-connect with the outdoors.

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

The workshop fee of $250 includes the weekend's instruction, lodging, meals and use of all necessary equipment. Partial scholarships, provided by the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, are available for first-time participants.