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• ACA Level 1 Kayaking Instructor Training

  • Start
    09 Aug 2024
  •  
    10:30 AM
  • End
    11 Aug 2024
  •  
    5:00 PM
  • Location
    S. Strafford, VT
  • Spaces left
    5
  • Registered
    5 registrants

  Registration is closed

  ACA KAYAKING INSTRUCTOR TRAINING

  Women Outdoors’ E. Mass. and Vermont/NH leaders have organized a Level 1 kayaking instructor training course — the American Canoe Association (ACA) Instructor Certification Workshop (ICW) — in Vermont with ACA instructor Ben Morton. As of June 2, 2024, we have 4 confirmed students and openings for another six qualified participants. 

  Ben is an ACA instructor of instructors who's highly recommended by our NH/VT Regional Contacts Bonna Wieler and Debra Weisenstein, who’ve both participated in his paddling workshops.  

  Workshop Description

  Here’s a link to a description of the L1 Kayak Instructor Workshop. In a nutshell, the ICW includes both instructor development training and instructor assessment.  In order to excel in this course format, Ben advises that it’s important that candidates arrive with realistic expectations and a foundation of prior paddling experience.  

  In order to assess your qualifications to participate, here are links to the ACA Level 1: Introduction to Kayak Curriculum: 

  Instructor Criteria
  

  • This criteria is used as a framework for instructor workshop delivery and instructor candidate assessments.
    

  Skills Assessment
  

  • The skills assessment is in the form of a class outline, but the clear outline of skills listed within the table can be a beneficial tool to understanding what “hard skills” will be expected of the instructor candidate.
    

  Sample Skills Course Outline
  

  • The sample skills course outline is exactly that, a sample skills course.  There is an abundance of curriculum listed within this document, and it serves as a tool for considering what an instructor may (or may not) want to include within course outlines that they prepare themselves.
    

  If you have any questions with regard to your level of readiness, or any of the resources and content listed above, please feel free to contact Ben at ben@precisionpaddlesports.com. 

  Course logistics:

  DATES:

  Aug. 9-11, 2024

  START TIMES:

  Friday: 10:30 a.m.
  Saturday: 8:30 a.m.
  Sunday: 8:30 a.m.

  END TIME:

  Sunday, 5pm*

  *Note: Staying over on Sunday night so as to leave on Monday morning is an option. Our hostesses, Bonna and Deb, have generously offered to house as many of us as they can accommodate, for the full weekend, including Sunday night. Bring camping gear or check with Bonna to borrow some.

  VENUE: Bonna and Deb are generously opening their home in South Strafford, VT so that we can all stay for the weekend. Instructions/address will be sent to confirmed registrants. 

  SLEEPING OPTIONS: 

  1. A bedroom in the main house with one double bed to sleep one or two women who are OK with sharing.

  2. A pop-up trailer that can sleep 3.

  3. Camping: no limit.  A tent on a platform will have mattresses for 2 or 3.  Another platform will have a screen tent on it.  Individual tents may be pitched.

  4. NOTE:  There is one bathroom in the house and an outhouse near the campsite.  

  FOOD:

  There's an outdoor kitchen area with a two-burner stove at the campsite and a kitchen in the house with a propane stove/oven.  Stay tuned: Bonna and Deb may assign preparation of specific meals to each of us.  Personal food should be stored in your own cooler, not left at the campsite unless your cooler is animal-proof. Deb and Bonna have two large coolers for this purpose. 

  WHAT THE TRAINING WILL COVER:

  The goal of this ACA course is to turn people into kayak instructors, not trip leaders. Of course there is a lot of overlap between those two things, as an instructor has to lead a group on the water. There is primary focus on how people learn and how to teach, performing and modeling kayak strokes with precision, and creating your own lessons, including demos, clear explanations, and an invented activity or game so students can practice the skills and get feedback. 

  When Bonna and Deb did the Level 1 instructor class with Ben in early June 2021, he had each do a wet exit and swim to shore with their boats and paddles.  They also performed one deep water assisted re-entry. 

  What Ben will teach will depend somewhat on people’s skill going into the class: for example, whether he has to teach basic strokes before teaching how to teach more advanced strokes. 

  BOATS: 

  Participants may bring their own boats or rent one from Bonna and Deb. Cost for the 3-day weekend boat rental = $50. 
  

  COST:

  1. TOTAL COST: Ben's fee is $1,500, which we will share equally. Note: This cost does not include participant's ACA and SEIC dues (ACA Membership: $40 / SEIC Dues: $30).

  2. TRAINING COST PER PARTICIPANT: The cost depends on how many participants we wind up with, and on whether participants choose to apply for and meet the requirements for a training scholarship that will cover 1/3 of the costs for Women Outdoors members in good standing (see No. 4 below). 
     Deb and Bonna will assist as co-instructors. Neither will be charged and hence won't be sharing the cost.
     The class maximum with one instructor and two assistants is 10. We'll determine closer to the date how many we'll have. If we have 4 participants, the cost (of training alone, without ACA dues or food costs) will be $375 each plus a small PayPal fee. If we have 10 participants, the cost  (of training alone, without ACA dues or food costs) will be $150, plus a small PayPal fee.
     Those members in good standing who apply for and meet the requirements of a Women Outdoors training scholarship (see No. 3 below) will be awarded a scholarship to cover ⅓ of the tuition cost. For additional financial support, you can also request regional funds from  your Regional Contact(s) (if you don’t know who that is or how to contact her/them, you can check out the Our Regions page to find out. Again, final cost will be determined by how many participants sign up. 

  3. SCHOLARSHIPS: Women Outdoors has agreed to reimburse 1/3 of our fee to Women Outdoors members in good standing, in exchange for commitments from the training scholarship recipients to lead at least 2 trips in the year following certification. Please be advised that scholarship applications must be submitted at least a month in advance of receiving certification so that the board of directors has time to vote on applications. 
     
     Sign in to Women Outdoors and then access the scholarship application here. 

  4. COVID: Please test within 24 hours prior to arriving and send us a photo of the results. Please see email addresses for Lisa Vaas, Bonna Wieler and Debra Weisenstein below. 

  5. REFUND POLICY: 

     The only case in which the fee for this course is refundable is if you find another Women Outdoors member in good standing who can take your place.

  Questions?

  Contacts:
  Lisa Vaas (lisavaas@gmail.com)
  Bonna Wieler (bonna.wieler@gmail.com)
  Debra Weisenstein (dkweis@gmail.com). 

  We look forward to paddling and learning how to be paddling instructors with you. 

  
  

  
  

  
  

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• Finger Lakes Upcoming Events and History

  • When
    31 Aug 2024
  • Spaces left

  Finger Lakes Upcoming Events

  Note: These are "save the date" notices for events not yet published on the Finger Lakes Calendar or our Meetup Group. When each event is ready, it will be announced on Meetup.

  
  

  July 27, Sat, 10 am - Attend the Indigenous Music & Arts Festival at Ganondagan

  Aug 10, 10 am - Cookout/Paddle/Hike/Swim/Hang Out at Fair Haven Beach State Park

  Aug 18, Sun, 2-4PM - fun in the sun paddle on Owasco Lake

  Event History Posted on Meetup since Nov 2023

  July 20, Sat, 10:30AM - paddle MUD Lake DEC Boat Ramp to Cayuga Lake

  July 7 to 13 - Camping at Rollins Pond in the ADK
  

  June 27, Thu - Hike at Corbett's Glen Nature Park, ROC
  

  June 23, Sat, 4-7PM - An evening paddle with wildlife on Sterling Creek (cancelled due to thunderstorms)
  

  June 15, Sat - Boat Float n' Folk Festival, Chittenango Landing Canal Boat Museum

  June 8, Sat - ADK Expo at Mendon Ponds Park, Pittsford

  May 26, Sun, 1:30PM -  Linwood Gardens Tree Peony Festival
  May 18, Sat, 11AM orienteering, 1:30PM nature walk, both at Pratt's Falls
  May 18, Sat, 10:30 - paddle Cayuga-Seneca Canal to the Finger Lakes Welcome Center on Seneca Lake, Geneva
  May 4, Sat, 1PM - Hike Chimney Bluffs State Park
  April 13, Sat - Visit to the Matilda Joslyn Gage museum, with lunch and hike
  April 8, Mon - Solar Eclipse - a few ideas for watching with a group
  March 23, Sat - Hike in Letchworth State Park March 3, Sat - pancake breakfast/hike at Beaver Lake Nature Center, SYR area
  Feb 17, Sat - Dutch Connection flower show at the Eastman Museum, Rochester
  Feb 3, Sat - Guided Tour on the Waterloo Canalway: Birding, History and Wildlife Hikes
  Jan 28, Sun - Trip Leader Training & Lunch, Seneca Falls
  Jan 1, Mon - First Day hikes around the region

  2023

  Dec 28, Thurs - Schweinfurth Quilt Show, Auburn
  Dec 16, Sat - Press Bay Winter Artisan Market, Ithaca
  Dec 9, Sat - Dickens Christmas, Skaneateles
  Nov 26, Sun - Thanksgiving Weekend Wander at Lime Hollow, Cortland
  Nov 19, Sun - Hike Chimney Bluffs State Park, Wolcott
  Nov 12, Sun - Turkey-O Orienteering at Highland Forest County Park, Fabius

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• National Gathering 2024

  • Start
    05 Sep 2024
  •  
    11:00 AM
  • End
    08 Sep 2024
  •  
    3:00 PM
  • Location
    Camp Scully, North Greenbush, NY (Albany area)

  Register

  Gathering 44 - 2024

  Lodging Friday to Sunday – 2 nights: $210

  Friday Sep 6 (11 am) to Sunday Sep 8 (3 pm)
  Includes 5 meals, 2 nights lodging, and all activities:

  • Fri - Dinner, Lunch option additional $12
  • Sat - Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner 
  • Sun - Breakfast, Lunch Option additional $6 

  Extra Day / Night: $85 (optional add-on)

  Thursday Sep 5 (11 am) to Friday Sep 6 (11 am)
  Includes 3 meals, 1 night lodging, and all activities:

  • Thu - Dinner
  • Fri - Breakfast and Lunch

  
  

  Note: If you are unsure about the extra day, please register without it. If you later decide on coming Thursday, contact gathering@womenoutdoors.org to have it added to your registration, and we will send you an invoice for the extra charge.

  Please review Lodging Options BEFORE registering! You will need to decide what is more important to you and select your housing accordingly! Some options are limited so register early! Note that you must be a paid member and logged in to have all of the lodging options available to you when registering.

  Pitching In
  To keep costs down we will not be hiring staff. When you register we'll ask how you can help make this a successful Gathering. Review our Pitch-In Options. 

  COVID Policy
  COVID requirements have been fully lifted. Please review our updated Illness Policy.

  
  

  Want to learn more? Click on these links:

  Full Gathering Details  |  Check out our Lodging Choices   |  Activities

  Registration Deadlines
  

  • Register by July 31 to avoid a $25 late fee.
  • Registration Closes on August 29.
  • You must be a paid member and logged in to have be able to register and to view all of the lodging options.

  
  

  Cancellation Policy - if you cancel:
  

  • By July 31: Full refund
  • August 1 - Aug 10: $25 cancellation fee
  • August 11 - Aug 20: $50 cancellation fee
    
  • August 21 - Aug 29: $100/$140 cancellation fee for 2/3 nights
    
  • August 30 or later: NO Refund

  (There will be no penalty if you cancel due to illness.)
  

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• Women Outdoors 2024 Annual Meeting - Online!

  • When
    15 Sep 2024
  •  
    7:00 PM - 8:00 PM
  • Location
    online

  Register

  
  

  Women Outdoors 2024 Annual Meeting
   Online!

  September 15th, 2024 at 7pm

  
  

  In order to reach more of our membership, we have decided to move our annual meeting to be online. All members are invited to attend!

  Agenda includes:

  • voting in of new Board members
  • a presentation of 2024 events and regional highlights
  • and more!

  Stay after the meeting for a presentation from Kris and Becky on their WO-sponsored trip to Peru.

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• Fall Camping Trip to NE Kingdom, Vermont

  • Start
    26 Sep 2024
  •  
    2:00 PM
  • End
    30 Sep 2024
  •  
    11:00 AM
  • Location
    VT Northeast Kingdom
  • Spaces left
    0

  Join waitlist

  Fall Camping Trip to Northeast Kingdom, Vermont

  Breathe in some crisp, clean air and warm your soul with some blazing autumn colors with a car camping trip to upstate Vermont!
  

  We’ll be traveling to a remote campground in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont where you can slow down, lose yourself in the beauty of nature and recharge your energy. We will be camping right next to a pond where you can hear loons sing and bullfrog’s chirp and grind! Other wildlife that abounds here are moose, bears, coyotes and many types of birds.

  Activities include:

  • kayaking/SUPing
  • swimming (if it’s warm enough!)
  • hiking
  • bird watching
  • mountain biking

  There will be planned group activities but attendees can also carve out some solo time for reading, journaling, meditating or doing whatever brings happiness. At night we’ll wind down with good conversation and relaxation by a roaring fire!
  

  Please be prepared to bring a tent, sleeping bag, dishes, utensils, camping chair, food, snacks and cooler for your food, etc.

  The campground is located on a pond and has a small beach. It will probably be too cold to swim but you never know! The campground also rents boats so if you don’t have your own you rent once you get there. The campground has flush toilets, hot and cold water and coin operated hot showers. They also have their own hiking trails, part of which goes along the Pond. So we can explore these and check out the autumn colors!!

  The leaders of the trip have already reserved tent sites for the group. When you sign up for the trip you will need to pay a fee of $60. This amount may be increased or decreased slightly depending on how many women end up going on this trip. The trip leaders will give you information about the campground after you sign up. Also, a complete packing list will be sent to all participants closer to the date of the trip.

  Women Outdoors members from all regions are encouraged and welcome to attend this event.

  PLEASE NOTE: Overnight Women Outdoors trips are open only to dues-paying members of the Women Outdoors organization. Joining this Meetup group does not make you a WO member; you can sign up, starting at $30/year (or $15 for those under 18, full-time students, and seniors 65 and over) at our organization's national site:

  LASTLY: By clicking the "Yes" option on the RSVP link you are agreeing to the Assumption of Risk as stated here: https://www.womenoutdoors.org/Risk/

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• 2025 National Cross-Country Ski Event @ Craftsbury

  • Start
    07 Feb 2025
  •  
    12:00 PM
  • End
    09 Feb 2025
  •  
    4:00 PM
  • Location
    Craftsbury Outdoor Center, Craftsbury Common, VT
  • Spaces left
    44

  2025 National Cross-Country Ski Weekend in Craftsbury, Vermont

  Lodging, Meals, and Skiing
  

  Dates: Friday, February 7 - Sunday February 9, 2025

  Location: Craftsbury Outdoor Center in the heart of Vermont’s unspoiled Northeast Kingdom 

  Fee: 2 nights and 3 days, double occupancy with 2 twin beds ($235) or single ($290).

  This amazing weekend features 3 days and 2 nights of cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, ice skating and socializing. Women Outdoors members from all regions are encouraged and welcome to attend this event.

  Includes accommodations, all meals (from Friday dinner to Sunday lunch), and cross-country touring tickets.

  The restroom and showers are shared on each floor. Bedding and towels are provided. 

  Meals include both vegetarian and non-vegetarian options. The variety and fresh local ingredients are just fabulous. Gluten-free and other specialties are available with advance notice. 

  See Cross-Country Ski Weekend for more information. 

  MUST be paid in full through our Wild Apricot website (AffiniPay) or check to secure your reservation. 

  Cancellation fee prior to January 26 is $25. After that date, there will be no refund.

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• South America Adventure 2025

  • Start
    28 Jun 2025
  •  
    10:00 AM
  • End
    15 Jul 2025
  •  
    10:00 PM
  • Location
    Peru and Ecuador
  • Registered
    18 registrants

  Register

  South America Adventure 2025!

  Machu Picchu, Galapagos Islands, Ecuadorian Amazon Jungle
  

  Bucket list trip alert! Have you ever wanted to go on the trip of a lifetime? Well, Women Outdoors is planning an breathtaking adventure for June-July 2025 to Macchu Picchu, the Galapagos Islands and the Ecuadorian Amazon.
  

  You can choose to go on one, two or all three adventures. The exact dates have not yet been set, but we'll travel between late June and mid July 2025.

  Here's the trip in a nutshell:

  Machu Picchu - Late June 2025. Walking tour of Cusco. Sacred Valley tour by van to Ollantaytambo. Tour Ollantaytambo ruins. Guided tour of Machu Picchu. Pachamanca feast in home of Qechua farmer.
  

  Galapagos Islands - Immediately after Machu Picchu. Optional tours to chocolate farm and coffee plantation. Van tour of Highland Tortoise Reserve and lunch on a farm on the way to the village of Puerta Ayora. Speed boat to Isabela Island/Puerto Villamil and then boat to Tintoreras Islet for snorkeling. "Tunnels" day boat trip and snorkeling in underwater lava formations. Service project on a coffee farm. Speed boat transfer to Santa Cruz Island for dinner hosted by fisherman and family.
  

  Ecuador Amazon Cruise - After the Galapagos Islands, probably early July 2025. This adventure begins in Quito and after a short flight to Coca, we'll board a motorized canoe for a short journey down the river before reaching the Manatee Amazon Explorer for our welcome aboard. A local naturalist guide will give an introduction to the Ecuadorian Amazon. Some of our activities will be a nighttime forest walk, canoe trip on the Panayacu River delta, nature walks with local naturalist guides, kayaking and swimming in Piranha Lake (not as dangerous as it sounds!).
  

  We're working with Adios Adventure Travel to plan this awe-inspiring adventure. Adios Adventure Travel helped facilitate the Women Outdoors trip to Machu Picchu in 2022 and we loved it so much we asked them to help us out again.
  

  Right now, we're just looking to see how many Women Outdoors members would be interested in joining us on this incredible adventure.
  

  Click here for a detailed description of each segment of the trip.

  Once you've had a chance to dream about this trip of a lifetime, come back to this web page and register your interest.

  There is no commitment to attend at this point; we just want to see how much interest is out there. You do not need to be a member of Women Outdoors to let us know of your interest in this trip at this time. Just click on the REGISTER button and let us know you're interested.
  

  If you want to come, check your passport's expiration date. It must be valid until at least January 2026.
  

  Our South America Adventure 2025 is open to only members of Women Outdoors. You can join right now by clicking on Join Us.

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