I admit, I was skeptical. Why did I need to pay for an introduction to outdoor activities? Why not just get out there and do it?

It doesn't matter what you do or what you call it, being outside gives a lot of people pleasure. In early years it's called playing in the dirt; in mature years it's called gardening. Some regard fishing as frittering away one's life; for others it's a passion to be embraced. Simply taking the dog for a walk might be as enjoyable as a camping trip. People seem to need contact with the natural world. And with each other.

Becoming an Outdoors Woman (BOW) is an international program designed to introduce women to a range of outdoor activities. In Nova Scotia it is coordinated under the aegis of Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources, in cooperation with two other government partners, the Nova Scotia Federation of Anglers and Hunters, and a long list of sponsors. The program-11 years old in this province-is offered over a weekend, and has introduced more than 1,000 women to angling, hunting and other outdoor activities.

I've spent a great deal of my life engaged in the things that appeal to me most: fishing, hunting, camping and canoeing are some. I don't recall learning these things; they just happened. I grew up with them. I must confess that I've steered a wide berth around the BOW program. For a long time I couldn't get my head around the notion of 100 or so women paying for a weekend of rudimentary introduction to the outdoors. Why not just get out there and get it all over you?

Out of curiosity, I accepted an invitation to attend the BOW program last September. I wanted to know what attracted women to sign up and, more importantly, to return year after year. And I wanted to know how many women actually engaged in outdoor activities between programs. Did they learn enough on a weekend about their chosen activity to become sufficiently confident to get out there and do it?

We gathered at the Gaelic College in St. Ann's, Cape Breton, on Friday, in time for dinner in the cafeteria. Rooms were assigned, and the evening was spent socializing and sharing.

It was the camaraderie that I noticed first. Squeals of greeting echoed throughout the evening as former participants arrived from all corners of the province... and beyond. New recruits were warmly welcomed into the cliques. Lots of talking, and oh! so much laughter-especially when one BOW-experienced gal referred to herself as a BOW-Ho! Most were in the mid-20 to 40 range, although a few were at each end of the age spectrum; in fact one woman was there with her granddaughter. They were married, single, widowed, gay and straight. They came alone and with others.

I chatted with several first-timers and many experienced BOWers, and also listened to the chitchat around me. The women enrolled in the program for different reasons: to meet like-minded people; find themselves after trauma; understand about guns; relieve stress; to be able to introduce their children to nature; to learn why guys like fishing; to get away.

"Getting away" from the job or home was high on the list. "Let him look after the kids, let him get the meals;" "I need a change, I need to be me"-these were the refrains I heard, at least on the first night. Toward the end of the program the tune had changed to "I wanna go home!" Home they went, and happy. Lists of potential purchases were clutched-fishing gear, kayaks, cameras, outdoor clothing.

The weekend had the aura of a revival meeting. Testimonials abounded, skeptics converted. Repeaters talked about how their first BOW experience changed their lives. Darlene Caldwell is a prime example. Darlene described herself as once being a wallflower, a shy and retiring housewife. After her first foray into the BOW world she got involved in some sporting associations. She became the first female president of the Nova Scotia Federation of Anglers and Hunters and a board member of the Canadian Wildlife Association. She has attended and taught in several BOW programs...and she stands up to testify about it at every opportunity.

I wanted to enroll in one of the courses, but which one? Did I really want to know more about fly fishing? Hardly! Canoeing? Nope! Geocaching? What's that?? Shotgunning? Yes!! We spent the morning shooting clays under the guidance of Sue Veniot and Mark Hamilton. Sue is a special delight... she can call a moose, hit a bull's-eye with an axe and roll a log. She demonstrated her skills with a crosscut saw and boiling a kettle outdoors. It was easy to see why she wins awards and breaks records in competitions.

I quite enjoyed the shotgunning instruction. We learned how to load, nestle the gun in the shoulder properly to diminish kick, and fire at a moving target. I was pleased with myself when I hit a clay in the air. A friend lets me tag along on many of his bird hunting jaunts in the fall. Seeing hunter and his dog work in tandem is one of my passions. I'll never be the crack shot that he is, but maybe I'll proceed through the regulations and get my own license and shotgun-maybe not.

Some women said they enrolled to help them understand their partner's passion, or to accompany him in his preferred outdoor sport. As an angler I see increasing numbers of couples on rivers where I fish-a far cry from my early fly fishing days, when I often felt that I should disguise my femininity!

Surprisingly few BOW participants said they ventured outdoors between programs to practice their new skills. Several didn't feel sufficiently confident to go to a fly fishing shop and ask for help, or to go hiking in the woods by themselves. Any novice, male or female, can go into Fishin' Fever in Halifax, or any fishing shop anywhere, and ask for help...the guys in there would elbow each other out of the way to offer service! The problem might be too much advice and information!

As I drove to the fly fishing instruction spot, I had an epiphany: suddenly I knew what it is that brings women back year after year. It goes beyond companionship, getting away, meeting like-minded souls, learning new things and being outdoors. It's feeling happy in your own skin. It's having self-confidence. It's that excitement in the gut as you face a new challenge. It's a sense of complete satisfaction with self and life. It's being truly happy!

I'm glad to know that so many women have a hankering for wild places. It means more children might be introduced to natural environments, threatened species could get more public attention, and it increases the number of people who may return the gifts that wild places give us. Like many of us Mother Nature is aging, and needs some help.

To learn more about Nova Scotia's BOW program go to gov.ns.ca/natr/outdoor.