ALBANY — New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Pete Grannis announced the second annual winter "Becoming an Outdoorswoman" workshop will be held the weekend of Jan. 29 to 31, 2010, at the Rensselaerville Meeting Center, Albany County. This is 17th year DEC has offered these types of workshops; more than 2,500 women have already participated.

"These popular workshops are particularly important in teaching participants useful outdoors skills, introducing them to fun and challenging activities and encouraging them to connect with nature, while enabling women to share their new skills with their children," Grannis said.

Becoming an Outdoorswoman is a program that offers weekend-long outdoor skills workshops for women ages 18 or older, and is designed for women with little or no experience with outdoor activities. Nearly 25 different classes will be offered at the Rensselaerville workshop. These classes include ice fishing, snowshoeing, winter camping, nature journaling, trail cameras, bicycle maintenance, winter survival, cross country skiing, fly tying, ecology of the winter forest, reading wildlife sign and backcountry skiing.

The upcoming January workshop also includes an exciting biathalon-type class that combines snowshoeing and target shooting with .22-caliber rifles.

The early registration fee is $310, which covers instruction in three classes, meals, two nights lodging, program materials and use of equipment.

Workshop information and registration materials are available on the DEC Wweb site at www.dec.ny.gov/education/68.html. Information is also available by calling DEC at 518-402-8862 or writing to "Becoming an Outdoorswoman," NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation, 625 Broadway, Albany, NY 12233-4754.