Bellevue, Prince Edward Island, October 8, 2009 – Richard Brown, Minister of Environment, Energy and Forestry, congratulates the women from across Prince Edward Island who got a taste of the outdoor life this weekend at the Becoming an Outdoors Woman workshop.

“Prince Edward Island’s wild areas offer a great variety of opportunities for recreation. I’m very proud of our staff and the volunteers who helped expose new people to the pleasures of outdoor sports,” said Minister Brown. The Department of Environment, Energy and Forestry organized the event to allow more people to experience the possibilities of outdoor sport on Prince Edward Island.

The workshop, held October 3 at Ben’s Lake, drew 46 participants and 20 volunteer instructors. Through the day-long event, women were allowed to try their hands at archery, shooting, and navigating by map and compass. They were also given talks that included plant, animal and bird identification, woodsperson skills, trapping and the importance of women in hunting and conservation.

“We’ve already heard back from many participants saying how much they enjoyed the weekend,” said Tracy MacDonald, an organizer and volunteer for the Becoming an Outdoors Woman event.

“This was an introduction and the 45-minute sessions were just a taste for the participants. I think we left a lot of them wanting more,” she said. “We’ll see a lot of these women continue to enjoy the Island’s outdoors.”