More FAQs with Teresa Carroll
I was involved in the Women in the Outdoors program, but no matter how hard I tried, the event just kept declining in participation. I tried changing classes, the lunch menu, even coordinated a fashion show during the event. What can I do to renew interest?
The first step is to build a committee of at least 10 individuals. Organizing a successful event requires time and attention to detail. The more help you have in organizing, the greater your chance of success.
Spreading the word about your event is also crucial. A majority of women attending Women in the Outdoors events were invited by a friend. Start by contacting your regional director for a list of area NWTF members. Mail or e-mail event flyers to them. Then bet that they'll each bring along a friend or family member to spend a day together outdoors.
Advertising is also necessary to recruit a larger crowd. The NWTF website has ready-made press release templates easily modified with your event information. The NWTF's public relations department can even provide local media outlets to which you can send the release.
Getting women to attend is the hurdle, but once they're on site, the event will sell itself.
How do I get my event or chapter featured in Turkey Country magazine?
Send pictures and information about your chapter, event coordinator or loyal member to tcarroll@nwtf.net. I'm always looking to highlight the awesome work our volunteers are doing around the country, either in Turkey Country or by sharing your successes with other volunteers.
Women from New England celebrate the outdoorsPETERBOROUGH, N.H. — More than 30 women from New England enjoyed a day of fun in the outdoors at the annual Women in the Outdoors event hosted by the Tri-State Long Spurs Chapter. Participants had opportunities to enjoy hands-on classes including rifle and pistol shooting, trap shooting, archery, horsemanship, canoeing, kayaking and land navigation in a beginner-friendly atmosphere. Angela Pelletier, who serves as state coordinator for the Women in the Outdoors program in New Hampshire, helped host the event. She has participated in outdoor sports since childhood but recognizes that many women are reluctant to give them a try. "For many women, shyness is the greatest obstacle to trying new outdoor activities," Pelletier said. "But offering a non-competitive, stress-free and fun learning environment does wonders for their confidence, and many discover new hobbies that they really enjoy." The event was at the Monadnock Rod and Gun Club.
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Women outpace men as new hunters
More women than men took up hunting last year, according to new figures from the National Sporting Goods Association.
While total hunters in the United States decreased slightly (.05 percent) between 2008 and 2009, the number of female hunters increased by 5.4 percent, netting 163,000 new participants. Growth areas for women included muzzleloading (up 134.6 percent), bowhunting (up 30.7 percent) and hunting with firearms (up 3.5 percent).
Data also show women outpaced men among newcomers to target shooting with a rifle, where female participation grew by 4.1 percent.
New hunters and shooters are cause for celebration because more participation helps with funding for conservation, according to officials with National Hunting and Fishing Day.
"New hunters, shooters and anglers are a good thing for everyone who loves the outdoors," said Denise Wagner of Wonders of Wildlife museum in Springfield, Mo., the official home of NHF Day. "Hunting and fishing license sales, combined with special taxes on firearms and ammunition, bows and arrows, and rods and reels generate about $100,000 every 30 minutes, totaling more than $1.75 billion per year for conservation. When it comes to funding for wildlife and wild places, more is definitely better."
For more information about NHF Day, visit www.nhfday.org.