“Best class”, “learned new stuff”, “awesome instructors”...these are some of the comments from our new POWR Up retreat held at Santee State Park and the surrounding area October 13 - 14, 2023. We were excited to have over 70 participants attend this event!

POWR Up is part of the South Carolina Wildlife Federation’s Palmetto Outdoor Women’s Retreat series. We have recently partnered with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources to enhance the POWR program and are thrilled with this new partnership. During the POWR Up event, participants are able to choose three classes that are three hours long for a thorough introduction to the topic. Our volunteer instructors are extremely knowledgeable and patient making POWR Up an incredible experience.

Boating and Trailering was a very popular class that fillled quickly! Participants practised backing the boat into the water, driving the boat on the water, and driving the truck pulling the trailer .

Allie Frierson is pictured holding one of the many bass she caught in Bass Fishing class! She commented, “I learned I had been using the fake worms (soft plastic worms) all wrong. Our instructor, Dearal, showed us some of the best ways to rig them for the greatest chance to catch fish. He said that I ‘made the instructors look good’ since I caught so many fish! Dearal, April, and Scott were wonderful instructors.”

L to R: Ashley Carothers teaching Scouting and Hunting SC. Kayak Fishing class participants enjoyed being out on the water and learning how to manage fishing equipment as well as paddling.

We would not be able to offer this amazing event without the support of our wonderful instructors and supportive sponsors. We want to thank Bass Pro Shops/Cabela’s Outdoor Fund, Nature Adventure Outfitters, Clemson Sandhills Research Station, Santee Cooper Country, Angling Women, and all of our instructors. These sponsors enabled us to provide a wide variety of activities conducted by a diverse group of expert volunteer instructors. A special thank you is due to the numerous individual volunteers who so willingly donated their time to share their knowledge and expertise. We thank them for their contributions to our event and encourage participants and others to support their businesses.

Event Organizer: BeBe Dalton Harrison

Check out all the great classes that we were able to offer with the help of our volunteer instructors!

Backpacking, Outdoor Photography - Glenn Gardner

Bass Fishing - April and Dearal Rodgers, Scott Faile

Birding - Annette Gibert

Boating and Trailering - Dennetta Dawson, Elise Still, Jim Shelton, Rhett Bissell, Brittney Washington, Ray Lewis

Scouting and Hunting SC - Ashley Carothers

Kayak Paddling - Elizabeth Anderegg, April Childress

Kayak Fishing - Jennifer and Jason Schall

Pine Needle Basketry - Linda Harrell

Wilderness Trek, Hiking with a Master Naturalist - Tami Kyre, Jessica Holm

Please check out the pictures below of the classes we were able to offer at this year’s retreat.

Support Staff: Sara Green, Beverley Roberts, Angi Fuller Wildt, Ari Hippensteal, Susan Dalton, Abigail Sharpe, Paula Mills, and Cody Bishop.

It was rewarding for the staff to have the opportunity to see so many participants connect with each other, connect with the outdoors, and gain valuable experience at POWR Up. Building confident, conservation-minded outdoor enthusiasts is what this event is all about and participants definitely fit the bill. One excited participant commented, “Thanks for a great weekend. I can’t wait to come again and try more classes!”

For more information on the POWR series of events, click here. We invite you to join the "Palmetto Outdoors Women" page on Facebook and scwf_powr on Instagram to stay connected to SCWF, each other, and the outdoors.