Manitoba Wildlife Federation expands its popular Becoming an Outdoors Family program

After a highly successful pilot project last year, the Manitoba Wildlife Federation is expanding its Becoming an Outdoors Family program for 2025. Once again set to take place at the Circle Square Ranch near Austin, the series of outdoor workshops will now start a day earlier.

“We want make it bigger and better for this coming year,” says the MWF’s program and events coordinator, Chris Benson, noting the program will stretch from the evening of Friday, September 5 to the afternoon of Sunday, September 7. There will be room for eight families, or roughly 40 participants.

With similar workshops and programming to last year’s pilot project on offer, Benson says participants can expect to learn basic fishing and hunting techniques, build emergency shelters, forage for wild food, carve a willow walking stick, hand-paint a fishing lure, and more. All of the activities are designed to build confidence, enhance existing skill sets, and create an opportunity for like-minded families to meet.

According to Benson, last year’s program was a resounding success on all fronts. “It exceeded our expectations for how much people really enjoyed the program, both the kids and adults,” he says. “The families began to connect with each other, the kids began to connect with each other, and they played together when they had some free time.”

Last year, attendance was limited to the families of women who had previously attended the federation’s Becoming an Outdoorswoman weekend. This year, attendance is open to the public. “We’re going to advertise it quite extensively externally and through our partner groups,” Benson says.

Since the MWF expects there to be plenty of interest, it will hold a lottery to choose the participants. Those interested will have approximately a week to sign up once registration opens in mid- to late summer, after which the federation will select families at random to participate. While the cost of the event was still being determined at press time, Benson says the goal is to keep it affordable.

Learn more about the MWF’s programs and positions at www.mwf.mb.ca.