O.W.L.

Strengthening women and girls’ confidence in the outdoors -- and life!

Outdoor Women Lead (OWL) reduces barriers that women and girls experience in the outdoors.

We believe when more people have meaningful experiences outdoors, their quality of life, health and social well-being improve.

We offer:

An Outing Group for Women. Participants explore local land preserves and water-ways while learning about local natural ecology and getting outside with like-minded women.
A Summer Camp for Girls. Girls learn outdoor, naturalist, and gardening skills at Milbridge Commons Wellness Park.
Outdoor Skill-Building Workshops for Women and their Families. Workshops are family orientated and focus on skills you need to successfully navigate and thrive in outdoor settings.

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Outing Group for Women

OWLette

OWL Facebook Group

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OWL is a collaborative project between WHRL and Maine Outdoor School, and is inclusive to all definitions of the term “woman.” For more information, contact us.

Outing Group for Women

Are you interested in joining other women on outdoor adventures and learning more about our local natural ecology? This outing group is reserved for women and girls 16+.

Upcoming Outings

Community Science!

at Klondike Mountain in Lubec

June 17th, 2023 – 1 pm – 4 pm

Love exploring nature but want your observations to matter even more? Practice using some simple apps such as eBird and iNaturalist to contribute your observations to the broader scientific community. How much diversity of life can we find on this hike to the top of Klondike Mountain that sports beautiful views around Cobscook Bay?

This is a moderate hike. More information about this hike is available here.

Register Here!

Canoeing

on the Orange River in Whiting

July 15th, 2023 – 4:30 – 7:30 pm

During the heat of summer, local wildlife is most active during the cooler hours of dawn and dusk. This evening paddling outing gives us the best chance to see a variety of wildlife, including beavers, river otters, muskrats, a variety of birds, and more! This flatwater paddling experience sometimes has beaver dam barriers along the way, so be prepared to get out and drag your boat over obstacles. Canoes, paddles, and life jackets are available first come, first served; otherwise, BYO boat. This is for confident paddlers or those that attended the Canoeing Basics workshop, “Learn Your Paddle Strokes.”

More information about the Orange River is here.

Register Here!

In the event of a necessary weather-related cancellation, outings will be rescheduled for the following day. Registered participants will be emailed the Friday afternoon before an outing in the event of a postponement.

Outdoor Skill Building Workshops

These workshops are geared towards women and their families, ages 10+. You do not have to have kids to participate.

Learn Your Paddle Strokes

July 8th: 9:00 am – 3 pm

Long Pond near Cherryfield

Have an old canoe around but have yet to learn how to use it effectively or confidently? Are you comfortable paddling in the bow but not steering from the stern? Are you exhausted from switching sides because you’ve never mastered the J-stroke?

This workshop will teach you how to distribute the weight in a canoe, hold a paddle efficiently, canoe safely, and understand basic paddle strokes.

You’ll be exploring quiet lakes and ponds in no time! This workshop is designed for beginner paddlers and will include 1:1 instruction and time to explore a beautiful lake.

Registration coming in June!

SOLO Wilderness First Aid

October 7th – 8th with Nancy Zane from North Star Adventures LLC

WFA creates a solid foundation in the basics of back-country medical care. This sixteen hour course spans two days and focuses on basic skills necessary for responding to emergencies in the back-country. We’ll cover response and assessment, survival skills, musculoskeletal injuries, soft tissue injuries, environmental emergencies, and medical emergencies.

This is an incredible course! Not only will you gain the skills you need to care for people remote locations, you will also have a fantastic time learning!

Fun and fast-moving, there will be a mix of classroom sessions, practice sessions and outdoor scenarios. Course includes: Materials for practice scenarios, WFA book, WFA map, 2 year certification and instruction.

More Information Coming Soon!