O.W.L.

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

Outdoor Women Lead (OWL) reduces barriers 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.

Giving-- it's the Maine thing to do.

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Outing Group for Women

OWLette

OWL Facebook Group

Educational Videos

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+.

A Group of Women Hiking Along the Maine Coast

Ecology & Geology of the Maine Coast

Hollingsworth Trail, Steuben

RESCHEDULED TO: September 30th, 2023 – 1 – 4 pm

Why does the coastline of this part of Maine look the way it does? Why does it host such unique organisms? Learn all that and more along the remarkably diverse Hollingsworth Trail, a 1.5-mile moderate hike through the forest and along the rocky shore. More trail information available here.

Register Here!

Foraging

Hidden Ponds, T10 SD

October 21st, 2023 – 1 – 4 pm

Learn the basics of plant and mushroom identification so you can build the skills necessary to start sustainably and safely foraging for wild foods and medicines.

This is part of the Tunk Mountain trail network and is considered a moderate hike. More trail information available here.

Register Here!

A woman holding an insect while others look on

Unique Organisms

Backfield Park, Great Wass Island

November 18th, 2023 – 12 -3 pm

This mossy wonderland is the perfect place to learn the differences between non-vascular plants, symbiotic organisms, and algae (mosses, lichens, seaweeds!) and begin your journey on identifying these unique organisms. This is an easy network of trails through the woods and along the shore.

Registration coming in October.

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.

SOLO Wilderness First Aid

with Nancy Zane from North Star Adventures LLC

October 7th – 8th, 9 am – 5 pm

WORKSHOP IS FULL. EMAIL INFO@WHRL.ORG TO JOIN THE WAITLIST.

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Accidents happen. People get hurt, sick, or lost. The temperature drops, the wind picks up, and it starts to rain. Would you know what to do? Many backcountry emergencies are preventable; even when bad things happen, sometimes the wrong care can worsen things. By learning a few basic skills, you can make the difference between a good outcome and a bad one – and maybe even save a life. SOLO is the oldest, most innovative, and one of the most respected wilderness medical schools in the United States.

WHO IS WILDERNESS FIRST AID FOR?

Wilderness First Aid is the perfect course for outdoor enthusiasts who want basic first-aid training for short trips with family, friends, and outdoor groups. This course is part of OWL (Outdoor Women Lead)’s outdoor skill-building workshops for women and their families, ages 14+. Husbands and sons are welcome to join this workshop!

WHAT IS TAUGHT?

Wilderness First Aid is 16 hours long (two days) and focuses on the basic skills of Response and Assessment, Musculoskeletal Injuries, Environmental Emergencies, Survival Skills, Soft Tissue Injuries, and Medical Emergencies. Not only will you gain the skills you need to care for people in remote locations, but 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. The course includes Materials for practice scenarios, a WFA book, a WFA map, 2-year certification, and instruction.

Wilderness First Aid Certification often costs $200 or more. We are excited to offer this course to twelve participants on a donation basis. If you have the ability, please consider supporting OWL when you register. Our goal is to make this important course accessible to all. We would appreciate a minimum donation of $25, but let us know if that is unaffordable for you. All are welcome!

An additional CPR course will be offered at the end of the first day. This course costs $25 per person and can be paid in person via cash or checks made to North Star Adventures LLC.