From the President-

Greetings to all in the outdoors! It seems that time passes so quickly once the children start back to school for another year, and summer is ending. It won’t be long before we are looking out across a blanket of snow instead of the gorgeous fall colors that are coming now.

I sit here today thinking of the years that I have been involved with both OWSD and BOW and wonder at all of the years that have passed by and all of the ladies (and men) that I have met and have become friends with because of my love for the outdoors and the activities that go along with it. Not only to enjoy, but also to teach and to mentor new people into that arena of life. I am truly amazed and have been blessed by each encounter and each friendship that I have made. I am the lucky one that has been able to dedicate hours to this organization and have been rewarded with such wonderful memories and a vast education into the real outdoors.

I have made a challenge for myself this past year. I wanted to take some outdoor education classes, so that I could further pass on that information to others. I was able to take the Project Wild classes at The Outdoor Campus this spring. And then this summer I took the Project Wet, Project Wild Aquatic, Project Wild Science and Civics, and Flying Wild Classes. WOW!!! That is a whole lot of classes and education and materials that you get with all of those classes through Game, Fish and Parks. These classes can be adapted to fit 4H, Girl Scout Programs, Boy Scout Programs, after school activities, in school teaching, Senior’s programs, as well as organizations such as ours. They are truly wonderful ideas, and educational opportunities to take these courses. Why am I telling you all of this you may wonder? Well you too can take these and mentor and teach in your community what the outdoors has to give us and what our responsibilities are to the outdoors.

My plan is to pass on this education through teaching at BOW, teaching at the annual OWSD convention, and through my volunteer work at The Outdoor Campus teaching classes and assisting. By taking these classes, I am educated and will be teaching the correct information to adults and children who may not have had those life experiences outdoors that we enjoyed living in South Dakota on a rural dairy farm. Those classes may just make a difference in their lives and may be able to connect to the earth even for a short time anyway.

I am now going to challenge each of you reading this article. Take a class that deals with the outdoors and then go teach a class to someone- even one person. There are so many classes to choose from- they do not have to be a whole series of classes like the Project Wild ones, you can go to The Outdoor Campus (TOC) or the SD Game Fish and Parks websites and choose a class that you will enjoy and have fun with. For example, Project Wild about Mountain Lions is being held in the Black Hills, November 4, 5, and 6- you can check out the information on the website. Or TOC is offering a class on Building your own Fishing Rod- a great hands on class that you can learn a true art and make your own equipment.

OWSD is now offering classes, outings or events monthly on both East and West River- West River is the Second Sunday, and East River is the Second Saturday of every month. Go to www.owsd.org and check out those events for a class/ outing near you. OWSD is also involved with the organization of the annual kayak trip in the summer, which this past July 30 people participated in!

OWSD has had many contacts this past summer for adventure trips that will be happening in the upcoming months- for example would you go on a 10 day trip to Alaska with 2 very qualified guides and experience kayaking in the Glaciers, hiking summits, seeing Alaska through a well planned back country experience? Or what about taking the tropical route? A trip to the Virgin Islands and kayak and scuba dive and just hang out on one of the sandy beaches and relax as the snow is blowing across the SD prairies? Or would a trip to Churchill, Manitoba, Canada via the railway to experience the migration of the polar bears and walking on the tundra interest you? These are experiences that people like yourself have taken and wanting to reach out and offer them to you at a fraction of what major companies offer these packages and with a respectful view of the wilderness, wildlife. OWSD will be making decisions on how to handle the requests for assistance and promotion of such trips. But I want to make you aware of the fact that there are tremendous learning opportunities that are waiting for you right outside of your doorstep. You just need to reach out and take advantage of what is being offered to you and to your family and children. To have knowledge and to be educated is a good thing but to be able to pass that on to the next generations is a great thing!!

Yes, I have been blessed with friends, and with knowledge. I want to pass that on to you and to leave this world a little better because of that knowledge. So, I will see you at the next BOW, at the next Wild class, or at the next OWSD event or Convention!!

Take care- yours in the outdoors-

May Schaefer, President of OWSD