Ladies, why not try beginner's backpacking?

By Linda Stahl
lstahl@courier-journal.com
The Courier-Journal

By Linda Stahl
lstahl@courier-journal.com
The Courier-Journal

Ladies, you're in luck. Natural Bridge State Resort Park, near Slade in Eastern Kentucky, has added a women-only "Beginner Backpacking" weekend to its list of offerings for 2007.

This guided overnight trip begins March 31 and ends April 1. It is for women 18 and older.

Natural Bridge staffers will provide instruction on how to plan an overnight backpacking trip and provide all the equipment needed for your training weekend.

You will hike approximately 8 to 10 miles total. Participants must be able to walk this distance carrying at least 30 pounds. The fee is $75 and includes equipment, instruction and meals. The outing is limited to eight participants, so hurry.

Call Noelle Theres, park naturalist, at (800) 325-1710 to make a reservation.

By the way, if you've never been to Natural Bridge State Resort Park, you're in for a treat. It is home to one of the largest natural arches in the state and is surrounded by the Daniel Boone National Forest.
Outdoors skills for her

Another special opportunity for women is a Becoming an Outdoors-Woman weekend at Ross Camp near West Lafayette, Ind., May 4-6.

The Becoming an Outdoors-Woman program introduces women to more than 30 outdoor skills and sports in a safe, noncompetitive environment.

Hands-on classes promote confidence in women who are learning a skill for the first time or trying to improve existing skills.

You'll meet other women who enjoy outdoor sports, including hunting and fishing.

Registration is under way. The cost is $165 for the weekend, which covers lodging, meals and equipment. Regular tuition positions are filled but you can get on a waiting list. Cancellations often occur. About 10 positions for those who need partial scholarships remain available. They go to students, single parents and low-income, first-time participants.

You must be 18 or older to enroll.

The Indiana Department of Natural Resources and the Indiana Hunter Education Association sponsor the workshop. For more information or to register, go to www.bow.IN.gov or contact Dawn Krause at (317) 232-4095.
Forest forensics

Author and ecologist Tom Wessels, who is known for interpreting the landscape by taking a closer look at its scars and wounds -- a process that has been called forest forensics -- will speak Wednesday at The University Club at the University of Louisville.

The event, which is free and open to the public, will begin with a reception at 5 p.m. followed by Wessels' presentation at 5:45 p.m.

Although Wessels is a scientist, he loves teaching people how to "see the marvelous, large-scale patterns and processes that exist in the world around us."

His book, "The Myth of Progress: Toward a Sustainable Future" (University of Vermont Press, 2006), asks readers: Are we testing the resilience of nature's systems and challenging the very laws of sustainability?

Another of his books, "Reading the Forested Landscape: A Natural History of New England" (Countryman, 1997), has been said to have helped thousands of New Englanders understand their landscape as they look at stunted trees, old stone walls and other clues.

Wessels is professor of ecology and the founding director of the master's degree program in conservation biology at Antioch New England Graduate School in New Hampshire.

His appearance in Louisville is being sponsored by The 21st Century Parks and The Partnership for a Green City.