Fall Weekend Workshop

Planning is underway for 2026!

WOW offers the right skills at the right pace. Let us know which skills you’d like to learn, and we will schedule you for three, 4-hr hands-on classes over the weekend. We provide expert instructors, all the equipment you’ll need, and the WOW “can-do” attitude. We’ll also provide plenty of take-home resources and a wealth of networking opportunities. Join other Washington Outdoor Women in an empowering experience!

See a Review of the 2025 Fall Weekend Workshop Here

Step 1. Browse our past course descriptions below.

Step 2. Be sure to read through all the Attendance and Logistics Information for the workshop below.

Step 3. Click on the “Register Now” button to sign up – classes fill early so don’t delay. Only classes that still have availability will be listed on the registration site. If you do not see the class you want when you get to the registration form, you can send us an email to be added to the waitlist.

Step 4. Make registration payment. The workshop fee includes expert instruction, lodging, all meals & snacks, use of necessary equipment, program materials, and WOW’s signature T-shirt. NOTE: Fishing licenses are NOT included in this fee.

Please note: the WOW weekend workshop is an active event and requires a good amount of physical strength and mobility. Please consider whether the physical requirements of this workshop would prevent you from enjoying this experience.

Workshop Details

2026 DATES:

Sep 11 – 13th

LOCATION:

TBD

REGISTRANTS:

18yrs and older

REGISTRATION FEE:

TBD

REGISTRATION DEADLINE:

Workshop Support

2026 Fall Workshop Class Lineup May Include:

After the Harvest

You finally harvested some Washington shellfish, now what do you do with them? Learn to shuck oysters, steam clams and more. Discover simple recipes that will win over the most skeptical seafood lover! (24 spaces)

Archery

Start out learning basic form, parts of a bow, how it works and how to shoot and score arrows. Have fun while learning correct timing, posture, and concentration. Karin Cook is a level 3 certified coach and brings years of experience to this skill. (36 spaces)

Backpacking

Don’t head into the backcountry without this knowledge! This course is “packed” with instruction on essential backpacking equipment, “Leave No Trace” practices, trip planning, weather coping, and other backcountry tips and tricks. (24 spaces)

Fire Building & Knot Tying

Whether your fire is for warmth, cooking, or relaxation, learn efficient fire building techniques, wood choices and safety tips. Build a fire with and without matches. Also learn 3-essential and useful survival knots. (24 spaces)

Fix it in the Field

Have you had your tent fail? Straps break? By cleverly using what you already have with you, learn to make gear you break usable while still in the field. Your experienced instructor gives valuable tips on how to keep your gear from failing in the first place! (13 spaces)

Fly Fishing

New to fly fishing and casting? This class will cover the basics to give you new confidence or you can renew past techniques – from casting and knots, to equipment and bugs. A current fishing license is required. (21 spaces) * A 1-day ($12.90) combo (freshwater) license is sufficient.

Gardening for Wildlife

Start Planting with a Purpose! You can improve the environment and bring change right outside by creating a native plant container garden to support birds, butterflies, and other pollinators. “Dig -in” during this hands-on course and leave with gardening resources, tools and accessories! (12 spaces)

Map and Compass

Don’t depend on GPS… learn to read a topographic map, take a bearing with a compass, find true north and how to factor in declination. You will learn all this and more during classroom instruction. Then test your new skills in the field to successfully navigate a course! (24 spaces)

Native Plant ID

You’ll learn to identify a variety of herbs and flowers, while gaining insight into the ethnobotanical and ecological roles of local plants. The class covers both native and invasive species, unique characteristics, natural history, and impact on the environment. Sample a variety of edible plants and create a custom tea blend to take home. (34 spaces)

Harvest Basket Making

Gather and forage with a basket you made! Learn a bit of basket weaving lore, history and culture, and take home the start of a reed harvest basket made of rattan. Techniques taught can be applied to willow, grapevine, grasses and other natural materials. (21 spaces)

Intro to Wool Carding

How do you turn freshly sheared wool fibers into a knitted hat or scarf? Carding or combing wool is a traditional process, making it easier to spin fibers smoothly, and is essential for transforming wool into a material ready to be woven. Take home a variety of fibers, a spinning book, hand carder and more. (12 spaces)

Survival Skills

Mindset is the key to survival. Preparedness comes next. Learn techniques for short-term outdoor survival including wilderness awareness, mental and physical preparedness, shelter building, fire starting, and water purification. Update your “10 Essentials”. (24 spaces) *This class fills very quick.

Foraged First Aid

In this class you will address the most common hiking maladies using trailside plants as first aid. Participants will learn: how to identify some common medicinal plants, learn multiple methods of preparing plants for medicinal use and make botanical products to take home as the beginnings of an herbal first aid kit. (12 spaces)

Nature Reflections

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In this class you will awaken your inner artist designed to inspire creativity and mindfulness. Participants can connect deeply with the natural world through a blend of guided journaling, expressive writing, and intuitive painting. (12 spaces)

Wildlife ID & Awareness

Do you know who is in our woods? Learn about the diverse wildlife of Washington—their behavior, how to respond in the backcountry, and how to co-exist peacefully with our wildlife. (16 spaces)

Wilderness First Aid

Wilderness First Aid may be needed in remote areas when hiking, camping, hunting, birding, or fishing. The information in this class will help you creatively manage many common minor problems such as wounds, sprain/strains, and fractures. (14 spaces)

Tails & Trails

Plan to camp and hike with your dog? This class offers you hands-on learning for in-the-field injuries and ailments. Your instructor is a pheasant hunter and a dog trainer who also focuses on canine counseling and teaching trail skills, safety, and etiquette to dogs and owners. (12 spaces)

Attendance & Logistics

Accommodations

Option 1.

Registration

Option 2. Bring your own tent and sleep out under the stars.

Women must be 18-years or older. Registration deadline is TBD. Course registration & confirmation is on a first-come basis. ONE registrant per online form. Your workshop fee MUST accompany your online registration form. After you have registered and paid the fee, you will receive an email confirmation that will assign your courses, a packing list, and an agenda for the weekend. Your registration is not fully processed until you receive this confirmation email (please be sure to check your spam folders).

Please be sure to pack your patience and your willingness to trying something new or adventurous! At registration check-in, you will be asked to sign a waiver. This waiver states that you recognize this program involves some risk and you take responsibility for all your actions and injuries that may result by participating, and you grant WOW permission to publish photographs or digital images, with or without your name for editorial and advertising purposes.

Course Selections

Class sizes are limited. You will make your top two choices from a drop down list of courses for each session.

**Only classes that still have availability will be listed in the online registration form. A current fishing license is required for the Fly Fishing course. You can apply for a fly fishing license here.

Arrival and Departure

Plan to arrive for check-in between 6:00pm and 7:30pm on Friday, Sept 11th. WOW’s evening activities begin at 7:30 pm and will include the “BITE of WOW” with various appetizer foods. The weekend will wrap up by 2pm on Sunday, Sep 13th following our annual raffle/drawing.

Camp Activity

The WOW workshop is an active weekend and requires a good amount of physical mobility. At times, you could be a distance away from urgent medical attention. We will have 1-camp nurse on site, plus 2-first aid people (marked by red arm bandanas). You will be parking your car away from most camp activities and it will remain there the whole weekend.

You will have the opportunity in the registration form to indicate if you have special dietary needs. WOW will have a snack table set up and participants are free to bring their own or any necessary meal supplements.

Scholarships

Thanks to a generous 2025 grant from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, the scholarship recipient will only pay 25% of the 2026 registration fee. Only one scholarship per applicant/family will be awarded in each calendar year. Because WOW hopes to reach as many women as possible, preference is given to applicants who have never attended a WOW workshop. Scholarships will be awarded by a review committee. Please send an email to request the application: lorij@washingtonoutdoorwomen.org

Cancellation

The cancellation deadline is 5pm on September 1st. All requests for a refund must be emailed in and will be charged an admin fee of $40. No refunds can be issued after Sept. 1st. You may send a substitute in your place to take your assigned courses, but you must first notify us of this change. Please contact: Lori Johnson at lorij@washingtonoutdoorwomen.org.

YOU MUST MAKE THE REGISTRATION PAYMENT THE SAME DAY YOU FILL OUT THE ONLINE REGISTRATION FORM OR WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO COMPLETE YOUR REGISTRATION.

FAQ:

If I am awarded a partial scholarship, how do I pay my portion of $130? We will email a Paypal invoice to you that needs to be paid the same day you register for classes.

Can I bring my CPAP machine? Yes, there are plug/outlets in the dorm buildings.

Are there hot showers? Yes, each dorm section has a set of showers with hot water.

Can I leave early if needed? Yes, but please be sure to alert our parking volunteers of your need to leave early so that you can be parked appropriately.

Can I bring my dog? Camp __ has a “no pets” policy, but an exception is made for service animals. Service animals are allowed at camps, per the American Camp Association (ACA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act. A service animal is defined as a dog or miniature horse specifically trained to perform tasks related to an individual’s disability.

If I have any food allergies or special dietary needs, can I bring my own food? WOW will have a wide variety of menu options that include gluten-free and vegetarian. You are welcome to bring your own snacks.

Take the challenge – become a Washington Outdoor Woman!

If you would like to learn more about this workshop for future years and you are not already on our email contact list, sign up now to receive alerts of upcoming events.