Guys, let’s face it. We are often hard to take when we’re trying to teach the women in our lives about the outdoors. And if we’re completely honest with ourselves, we don’t always know all the answers or do things the right way, anyway. There are a lot of things we grow up thinking just come to us naturally, possibly as a result of having a Y chromosome.
But that’s not the case. We’ve had to learn all those skills along the way. In some cases, our fathers or uncles took us out to the woods at a very young age, and kept taking us back out there throughout our formative years. Many of our wives or sisters didn’t have those opportunities. Because of traditional thoughts on roles, they got left behind.
But that’s not always the case. There are plenty of women who are better outdoorsmen than any of the men I know. It’s all about what we’ve learned and how we’ve retained that knowledge.
And there are several groups out there that are working to help women learn the skills needed to enjoy the outdoors. They do it in a way that removes the pressure us guys tend to put on them by making these classes and outings open only to women. The Game and Fish has its Becoming and Outdoors Woman camps, and Wyoming State Parks offers Wyoming Wildflower Women.
The Wildflower Women program classes are often one-day trips to a state park, where a specific topic, like bear safety or outdoor survival, are taught in a few hours. But they sometimes have campouts, too.
Keep an eye out on Facebook for Wyoming Wildlflower Women courses.
