Thornapple Valley Chapter Women in the Outdoors

     2025  WITO
Overnight Event

Register is open June 30, 2025

You can find our brochure & registration on our "Forms & Stuff" tab.

About Us

Women in the Outdoors is dedicated to
providing interactive educational opportunities
for women ages 12 and older. Outdoor learning
featuring hands-on activities has been offered
by the Thornapple Valley Chapter for 26 consecutive years.

Founded in 1998, the Women in the Outdoors Outreach
Program was created to bring women together while
learning outdoor skills and building new friendships.
Activities like target shooting, kayaking, hiking, wild game
and camp cooking, birdwatching, plant identification, and
much more!

You can also find us helping out in wildlife conservation.
This is a big deal to us, as conserving the natural habitats
of turkeys, deer, rabbits, and every other animal in between.
Supplying them with the foods that they like to eat like berries,
seeds, nuts, clover, and grains helps them to thrive. Ultimately,
this helps an abundance of different species. You can read
all about the NWTF Seed Conservation Program at the link below:
http://www.minwtf.org/?fbclid=IwAR3PmqMXZxa3qN8rb1_HBuwlsg5-TqMWLI1CNkJ0iJX9R8cokAlbc1ffJ9s

The ladies of the WITO Thornapple Valley Chapter not only enjoy the great outdoors; we support each other by sharing indoor skills as well. Things like learning about essential oils, nature crafts, and making leather jewelry are some of the classes we've offered. Outdoors is what we're all about, so learning how to use power tools to create, repair, and build functional and useful items such as bird houses and feeders, bat houses, vertical pallet gardens, willow trellises, and slingshots fuel our passions.

Mission
The mission of the National Wild Turkey Federation is the conservation of the wild turkey  and the preservation of  our hunting heritage.






Forms & Stuff

Files You Can Download and Print  

2025 Women in the Outdoors Overnight Event

It's time! Registration will be open as of Monday, June 30th! Come join us for a fantastic experience including 4 educational and fun classes, spectacular raffles, and the always fun silent auction. Camp Michawana located on beautiful Long Lake is where ladies ages 12 and up come to enjoy companionship, make new friends, participate in activities, learn new things, and enjoy the outdoor life in a camp setting with modern facilities. And let's not forget a little friendly competition with our silent auction! Each year we welcome ladies from all over to join us in making memories.

Download

2025 Women in the Outdoors Event Registration

You may download this registration to your PC, type in the form fields and save your changes. Send your registration by email to Becki Bass at: bwildandfree@outlook.com You may also download it to your PC and type in the form fields, print, and return to the address listed on the registration via mail. We encourage you to email to save paper and postage.

Download

Map to find Camp Michawana

You may download this map and print to find us out at Camp Michawana.

Download

upcoming Events

What's Happening Locally for Thornapple Valley Chapter! NWTF Thornapple Valley Chapter presents our 26th Women in the Outdoors Overnight Event! Watch your email and mailbox for your 2025 brochure and registration! You can download a brochure and registration on this website under "Forms and Stuff" Or contact Becki at: bwildandfree@outlook.com to request one. Choose email (fillable pdf form) or paper copy sent to your mailbox. You may also request one on this website under "Request Informatio

  • Date:6/30/2025 07:00 AM - 9/5/2025 08:00 PM
  • Location 6475 Wilkins Road Hastings, MI 49058 (Map)
  • More Info:Camp Michawana
Sorry, registration has ended.

request information

Please fill out the form with your name, email address, and phone number. Check any applicable boxes and we will send any information accordingly as soon as possible. 
*
*






*

You've already responded.

You can submit this form only once.

Gallery

  • Jan

    The amazing lady who founded our chapter!

  • Micah

    Jan's son Micah is a huge help to our chapter and is dedicated to the NWTF and wildlife conservation.

  • 2020 Bird Feeder Class

    Some of our women learned how to use power tools and build a cool birder feeder.

  • Building Friendships

    We look forward to making new friends and seeing old friends each year!

  • 2019 Outdoor Cooking Class

    Our women in the outdoors love to cook outside and learn new techniques to do just that!

  • 2019 Pallet Garden Class

    Power tools?? Umm...YES. Creative ways to garden? YES! And we learned it!

  • Camp Michawana

    A look out the back door at the lake at Camp Michawana in Hastings, Michigan

  • 2020 Women in the Outdoors

    Our ladies of WITO rocking our smiles!

  • 2019 Walking Sticks Class

    One of our very own committee members, making a walking stick. One of our most popular classes!

  • 2020 Slingshots Class

    Do we like shooting sports? Yep! Do we like to make our own slingshots? Yep! Can we hit the target? This lady did!

  • Food Plot 2021

    One of our own chapter committee members, Wendy, planting millet for the wild turkeys.

  • Food Plot 2021

    Jan's planting indian corn for the wild turkeys and the rest of the wild bunch!

  • Sling Shot Class 2021

  • Cardio Drumming Class 2021

  • Sling Shot Class 2021

  • Sling Shot Class 2021

  • Sling Shot Class 2021

  • Sling Shot Class 2021

  • Leather Class

  • Porch Sign Painting

  • Leather Class

  • Cork Frames (mini bulletin boards)

  • Friday Night Fireside

  • Cork Frame Fun

  • Paddle boarding!

  • Learning to tie scarves

  • Archery!

  • Time out for some painting

  • First Aid Class

  • Cork Frame Fun

  • Scarf Tying

  • Cork Frames

  • Hay Ride!

  • Look at these beauties!

  • Chain Saw Class

  • Walking Sticks

  • Learning to use a draw knife

  • Safety First!

  • Good Friends and Good Times!

  • Bat Houses!

    We made these from upcycled school bleachers.

  • Mastering the chain saw

  • Learning techniques with the chain saw

  • Tie Dye shirts!

  • Look at those colors!

  • Bat House Class

  • Tie Dye fun!