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.
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 Club for Women

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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

Nature Journaling

at Tunk Mountain

April 15th, 2023 – 10am – 2pm

Start your nature journal or add some inspiration to your existing one as we hike Tunk Mountain and observe the signs of spring.

This is a moderate-advanced hike close to 4 miles in length. For more information about Tunk Mountain, click here.

Register Here

Mother-Daughter Hike: Spring Plants & Birds

at Tide Mill Creek in Jonesboro

May 20th, 2023 – 1 pm – 3pm

If you’re a nature observer, this is the most overwhelming time of year, with new flowers, leaves, and birds making themselves known everywhere! We’ll slow down and learn to identify the individual birds and plants most noteworthy in mid-spring along Tide Mill Creek, an easy-moderate hike (less than 3 miles) offering lots of time for exploring, nature journaling, and enjoying the view.

This is a special Mother’s Day Outing! Have a daughter or another special girl in your life? Bring her with you. This outing is open to women and girls ages 10+.

For more information about the trail, visit here.

Registration Coming Soon!

In the event of a necessary weather-related cancellation, outings will be rescheduled for the following day. Registered participants will be emailed by 3pm the Friday 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.

Orienteering Basics

May 6th: 10:00am – 2pm

May 7th: 12:30pm – 4:30pm

Knowing how to use a map and compass can be the difference between a fun outdoor adventure and a scary one. Your phone or GPS won’t always work, but a compass and your brain will—if you know how to use them! Learn how to use a compass, take bearings, and triangulate your location through this two-part course with Registered Maine Guide Hazel Stark. Day one will be based at Milbridge Commons to learn the basics and get some hands-on practice. Day two will be in the woods, where you’ll apply your new skills. Compasses will be available to borrow but bring your own if you have one.

Registration Coming Soon!

Learn Your Paddle Strokes

July 9th: 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!