32nd Annual National Gathering 
May 27 - May 30, 2011
Get Ready to Have Fun and Celebrate 32 years of Women Outdoors!
Every Memorial Day weekend, women from across the country come together for the Women Outdoors National Gathering: three wonderful days of fun and adventure at the Sargent Center in southern New Hampshire. Whether you are a hiker or biker, kayaker or swimmer, birder or star gazer, painter or poet, writer or reader, the Women Outdoors Gathering has something for almost everyone. Nature’s Classroom is now leasing the Sargent Center from Boston University so we are fortunate we are able to continue in the place we have come to love.
Read "What a Great Gathering!!" on the Latest News page to get an idea of how much fun we had at the 2010 Gathering.
Daytime Activities
Most of the activities at the Gathering are volunteer-led workshops. Some of the favorites include the hike to the heron rookery to see the fuzzy heads of baby heron, the wildflower identification walk, trekking up Mount Monadnock, and biking New Hampshire’s back roads. Members also offer workshops such as orienteering, knot tying, bicycle repair, camp cooking, drumming and first aid. (Special note: You receive a $20 discount on your registration fee when you sign up in advance to lead a workshop.) Some of the quieter offerings may include chi qong, yoga, painting and crafts. In addition, women can canoe, kayak or swim in Half Moon Pond, explore the many walking trails at the Sargent Center, or challenge themselves with an adventure activity such as the climbing wall or high ropes course.
Here are some of the workshops offered at the 2010 Gathering: Flora and Fauna of the Forest; Beginning Kayaking; Hike to Heron Rookery; Poetry Paddle; Reading and Writing Nature Poetry; Chanting Meditation; Hike Mt. Monadnock; Hike to Purgatory Falls; Make Your Own Camping Stove and Make Your Own Camping Hammock; Stretch and Sing; Reflexology - Massage Aching Feet While Healing Heart; Meal Planning for Good Health; Kayaking Photo-Ops; Orienteering - Map and Compass; Wildflower Walk; Beginning Kayaking or Hike a Mountain; Intermediate Kayaking; Run Before Breakfast; Five Mile Hike or 15 Mile Bike Ride; Stretch and Sing; Workshop for Introverts; Training for Women Outdoors RCs.
Evening Activities
On Friday night, the Gathering opens with “getting to know you games” that leave you laughing with your new friends. Get ready to dance after that. Saturday evening features a keynote speaker, followed by a dance with a DJ and board games. On Sunday night, we hold the Women Outdoors annual meeting, followed by our always entertaining coffee house review – a talent show of Women Outdoors members. We often have a campfire, s’mores and sing-along on Saturday and Sunday nights. This year, a special Sargent Center activity will be planned for every night at 10:00 p.m.
Read about our 2010 keynote speaker, Louise Adie. Our 2011 keynote speaker will be announced in Spring 2011.
Antarctica Kayak Adventurer: Louise Adie
Every austral summer (our northern winter) Antarctic travel professional Louise Adie heads far, far south to serve as a kayak guide alongside glaciers and icebergs, penguins and albatross, at the bottom of the world in our last true wilderness. Each trip Louise makes is totally different, depending on what wildlife is encountered and which people join in on the experience, as well as any extreme weather conditions that might be present. The effects of global climate changes in Antarctica over the past five years have been significant in this part of the world. In her talk and photographic presentation, Louise will cover that topic as well as give us an “up close and personal” view of all that the beautiful and tranquil continent of Antarctica has to offer.
Louise Adie is a true woman of adventure who lives in the Finger Lakes region of New York state where she works as a motivator, teacher, mentor, instructor, and coach. Her background is in Nordic Skiing: training, coaching, racing and teaching. She began with Professional Ski Instructors of America thirty years ago and has given hundreds of lessons since. Motivated by a passion for the out of doors, Louise also champions a lifelong commitment to health and fitness. She will be leading a Nordic Walking Workshop on Saturday during the Gathering, so bring your poles – both ski and hiking.
Visit: http://veslaoutside.blogspot.com for more on Louise.
Visit: www.fiddleheadfitness.com for Louise’s Nordic Walking and fitness business
The Sargent Center
Nature's Classroom operates the Sargent Center in Hancock, New Hampshire. Located in the Monadnock region of southern New Hampshire, the 800-acre camp features hiking and biking trails and a large lake – Half Moon Pond – for canoeing, kayaking, swimming and relaxing. Perhaps most important, the meals at the Gathering are fabulous.
Accommodations
Women have a variety of options for their stay at the Gathering. Cabins sleep 4 to 10 people in bunk beds and have a living room and a bathroom with hot showers. Dorm rooms sleep up to 6 people in bunks and have a bathroom with hot showers at the end of the hall. Cabins and the dorm are heated and have electricity.
Yurts sleep 4 to 6 people on cots in an open floor plan. The yurts are like round platform tents and are completely enclosed and above ground. There is no heat or electricity in the yurts. Women who want to camp can pitch their tent in the meadow. There is a separate bathhouse with hot showers for the yurters and tenters.
Meals
The gourmet chef at the Sargent Center prepares incredibly delicious vegetarian and non-vegetarian entrées for each meal. Desserts are fabulous. Meals from Saturday breakfast through Monday lunch are included in the price of the Gathering. Friday night’s dinner is an additional charge.
Registration Fee
We encourage all women to lead a workshop and receive a $20 discount. Please help to create an exciting program at our national Gathering by sharing your skills.
Fees range from $100-$275, depending on the accommodations you choose and how many days you attend. Some partial scholarships are available.
Please note: Gathering attendance is for Women Outdoors members only. If you are not a member, please Join Now or Renew your membership!