J. EDMUND BARNES

PHOTO: EXPERIENCED shooter Meg Brown, Louisiana State WIO Coordinator, demonstrates shotgun etiquette while Carla Beech, district coordinator, operates the skeet machine. GONZALES- For Noreen Pollard, the outdoors were a fond but distant memory of family adventures- hiking, fishing, and hunting with her father. What she remembers most are the learning experiences- being taught safety, responsibility, and how to enjoy the outdoors. Her interest in the outdoors waned as she got into her teenage years, though she never forgot the simple lessons she learned or the fun she had with her father. Through the Women in the Outdoors program, she has been able to re-enter the world she left behind in her youth. Women in the Outdoors (WIO) is a non-profit program for women 14 and up. The WIO’s mission to educate as well entertain women, and seeks to prove there is more to outdoor recreation than hunting and fishing. The WIO also seeks to open these avenues of experience to women of all walks of life, from the housewife or business woman looking for a new, fun, and educational adventure, to the most avid outdoorswoman. The WIO seeks to promote all aspects of the outdoors to women; from the basics of land navigation with a map and compass to making bird houses and keeping a nature journal. The WIO will be hosting their third annual Hands On event May 5 at the Lamar Dixon Expo Center in Gonzales. For $35, each participant can participate in four seminars, including: Dutch Oven Cooking, Shotgun Etiquette, Archery, All Terrain Vehicles, Basic Fishing, Common Sense Self Defense, Canoeing, Map and Compass, Making Bird Houses, and Flower Pressing/Nature Journal. Each participant will be served breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and will receive a free T-shirt as well as a one-year membership in the WIO. The first 40 to register before April 23 wil be eligible to win the “Early Bird Raffle,” with a cash prize of $100. For registration or more information contact Linnet Cagnolati (225-647-5657), Carla Beech (225-675-5256), or Noreen Pollard (225-622-5336) or write to WIO, P. O. Box 1095, Gonzales, La. 70707.