A couple dozen women spent Saturday learning they can be confident, courageous, and independent in the outdoors. Actually, most of them probably already knew that, but the 7th annual Outdoor Skills Workshop, put on by the Women in the Outdoors, provided learning opportunities in a nonthreatening environment.

Wanda Harris came to the event at Spring Meadow Lake from Great Falls. She says lots of women say that if their husbands or boyfriends aren’t outdoorsmen then they can’t be.

Not true, Harris, 62, said.

“You can do anything you want to do if you just put your mind to it,” she said.

There are a many classes to pick from, but Harris selected kayaking, fly fishing, bird drawing and spin fishing. Harris dabbles in many outdoor activities but says she came to the workshop to learn proper techniques.

The whole idea is to get young girls and women involved in outdoor activities so they can be comfortable and independent, Susan Schwend McEachern, state volunteer coordinator for the Montana chapter of Women in the Outdoors said.

The community gets involved too. Capital Sports and Western put on the kayaking class, staff from Cross Currents taught the fly-fishing class and self-defense was taught from members of the Helena Police Department.

One of the key points made by Jim Holland, co-owner of Capital Sports and Western, was about life jackets and how kayakers and rafters should be diligent about wearing them whenever they are on the water. And, he went on to say, helmets should be worn in rivers like the Smith. If you get knocked over, there are things under the water that could knock you out, Holland said.

Capital Sports has been involved in the workshop for the past six years. Co-owner Bart Bratlien said it’s just good community service first and foremost.

“Anything we can do to get more ladies interested in doing things outdoors is worthwhile,” he said. “We know they’ll enjoy it and living here there are tremendous opportunities.”

Helena photographer Kurt Keller taught the outdoors photography class. He talked about camera techniques and functions and urged beginner shooters to always use a tripod.

“It’s necessity, almost always,” he said.

Keller enjoys teaching, he said, and was happy to help out this year. He was slated to teach the same class last year, but car trouble prevented him for making it — much to his disappointment.

“I like teaching, and people get excited about about taking pictures,” he said.

Schwend McEachern enjoys seeing all types of women come to the event, and really gets a kick out of the mother-daughter teams.

K’Sandra Skeels, 16, came to the workshop with her mom Sandra. The Helena pair spends a lot of time together. Just last weekend they attended a reunion and tested the water in the kayak, so they were thrilled to get some knowledge about things they should and shouldn’t be doing.

K’Sandra said she hopes to do more kayaking with her mom and was happy to gain some confidence about outdoor sports.

Harris already has confidence in the great outdoors because she’s been hunting for years. But she said she came to not only gain some new skills but make some new friends.

“I came to meet other people who also enjoy the outdoors,” she said with a warm smile shaded by her Panama hat.

Schwend McEachern said the event provides a relaxing opportunity for women to bond a bit. The goal, she said, is that they learn they are independent and can have fun doing the activities they enjoy with or without a man’s help.

Women in the Outdoors is sponsored by the National Wild Turkey Federation. The group is planning a winter workshop to include such outdoor activities like cross-country skiing and snow-shoeing, but the date has yet to be determined.

Reporter Alana Listoe: 447-4081 or alana.listoe@helenair.com