TWWI News

The Women’s Wilderness Institute is constantly leading, evolving, and reaching new goals. We have lots to tell you, so check back often to hear about the latest events on our calendar or read our frequently updated news.

12.18.09Wendy Booker Moved Mountains on December 2

If there was one spot in Denver where warmth could be felt one cold winter evening, it was certainly the Moving Mountains event at the Denver Newspaper Agency Building.

Hosted by The Women's Wilderness Institute, the annual fall fundraising event drew out 60 plus brave souls who challenged single digit temperatures on December 2nd to come hear Wendy Booker's remarkable story of overcoming life's obstacles, while also supporting a great organization. Read more.

12.10.09Marketing Internship AnnouncementWe're looking for one outstanding individual to join our team and make a big difference getting the word out about The Women's Wilderness Institute. This fast-paced, diverse job is an unbeatable opportunity to learn about marketing practices and tactics for a small, and quickly growing, nonprofit. This marketing internship will work directly with the Marketing Director and fulfill several major marketing initiatives, including special events, internet and print media, grassroots materials distribution and working with corporate sponsors. For more info and apply, click here.

The Women's Wilderness Institute is thrilled to welcome Wendy Booker to Denver for our annual Moving Mountains event. Wendy Booker is a woman on a mission. The mother of three sons she hopes to show them and children everywhere that obstacles are not mountains that stand in our way--rather, they are challenges to climb over. "We all have such mountains in our lives and we cannot let them stop us!" To be sure, Wendy has had her share of mountains to climb--starting with a diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis at the age of 44. Always a casual runner, Wendy's diagnosis prompted her to train for the Boston Marathon and she has since run nine marathons!
For more information and to buy tickets, click here!

6.16.09 and 6.18.09Let Your Voice Sing!

Robbyn Hart from 850 KOA recently did an interview about our Girls' Wilderness Wild Voices Course! Hear from Girls' Wilderness Alumnae Emma Hutchinson as she describes her experience with The Women's Wilderness Institute on her Girls' Wilderness Wild Voices course in the summer of 2008.

Take a listen:

Radio Interview Part One
Radio Interview Part Two

Happy Mother's Day from TWWI! As most of you know this Sunday, May 10th is Mother's Day. For many of us this is a day that we make a special effort to tell our mothers how important they are to our lives. Just in the way each of our relationships with our mother's are unique, the way we celebrate them is unique as well. We may send a card, flowers, write a poem, have a girl's day at a spa, cook a beautiful breakfast, or simply call them and tell them how glad we are to have them in our lives.
read more

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4.23.09 Get Your Gear and Cheer On! Beth Davis, TWWI's Executive Director 

Take a listen as Beth Davis, TWWI's Executive Director, gets people excited about one of our biggest events of the year! Gear & Cheer is our annual spring fundraiser, featuring live and silent auctions, tastings of local beer, wine and food, and fantastic live music. This year's event took place on April 23rd at The Rembrandt Yard in Boulder, CO. This spirited, interactive event raises money to provide scholarships for our Girls' Wilderness Program and is a great forum to showcase your company, network with community influencers, and initiate strategic partnerships. Gear & Cheer is one of Boulder's most spirited parties and the crowd grows larger and more enthusiastic each year!

Take a listen!

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3.27.09 Boulder Youth Body Alliance Teams-up with TWWIBy Lindsay Miller, TWWI Community Program Director

The Women's Wilderness Institute and the Boulder Youth Body Alliance embark on their second year of collaboration with TWWI's after-school program for 8th grade girls, Girls on the Rise. BYBA co-facilitates 3 of our after-school sessions which have a specific focus on fostering positive body image and increasing awareness of weight-based stereotypes and promoting size acceptance.
read more

A few weekends ago I finally did something I had been waiting to do for a long time: I hiked the off piste bowls and chutes of Loveland Ski Area. I have been snowboarding for a good couple of years now. In this time I challenged myself on black diamonds of all kinds and enjoyed zooming down Loveland Pass under a bright full moon but I had still yet to hike beyond the chairlift to savor well-earned first tracks on the fluffiest of powder. It took one of my dearest friends, Cecilia, who shares both my passion for snowboarding as well as female empowerment and camaraderie on and off the mountain, to make me realize that I was more than capable of hiking off piste territory.
read more 

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3.11.09Your Lucky Days!

Though Friday the 13th may seem unlucky, there's nothing unlucky about supporting strong women! Cultivating a strong body and mind, lululemon athletica, a yoga-inspired clothing company focusing on living healthy, balanced lifestyles, is proud to support The Women's Wilderness Institute with fun events through March and April!
read more 

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2.26.09Fishing Like a GirlWritten by Peggy McNeal, TWWI's Bookkeeper

At the age of 42 or so, I found fishing. Or maybe I should say, fishing found me. My husband and I were spending our anniversary in Steamboat Springs and after sipping our morning coffee on a gloriously warm October day, we decided to drive up to Steamboat Lake. Maybe to do a little hiking, but mostly just to see the fall colors and leave town behind in the rearview mirror for a few hours. Little did I know that what I found that day would have such an impact on my life. Read More

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2.25.09Sharing Optimism

Johnston Wells, a Denver based PR firm, sent out this great video valentine to thousands in celebration of the inspiration, optimism, spirit and love of community being exuded by our local leaders-including our own Beth Davis. Please watch, enjoy, and feel inspired!

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2.20.09
Women Empowering WomenBy Mary Jackson Young, Winter Program Intern at The Women's Wilderness Institute

I am a new intern at the Women's Wilderness Institute receiving graduate credit for my masters degree in Adventure Education from Prescott College and wealth of new knowledge and experience in the field of women's specific adventure programming. I come to TWWI with a unique background of adventure education and motherhood, and through both I have had the support, guidance and inspiration of many women, good friends old and new. Reflecting on my past outdoor adventures with women, such as climbing, trekking, and traveling, I have noticed a parallel between my personal and professional adventure experiences and the role of a doula.
read more

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2.19.09Daughter-Parent Snowshoe Adventure this Weekend!

While the temps are warmer in the Front Range of Colorado, there's snow up high! Come and spend a day on a spectacular winter hike exploring Colroado's trails on snowshoe. There's still time to join our last winter course for the season! Our Daughter-Parent Snowshoe Adventure is great for girls 8+ and a parent, mentor, or adult relative or friend. Together, you'll enjoy a spectacular winter hike, learn snowshoe techniques, how to dress for cold-weather sports and travel off trail in snowy terrain.

Check out this endorsement of our programs by Claire Walter, a Colorado-based, award-winning travel, food and snow sports writer, who recently attended one of our women specific clinics at Winter Trails Day in Rocky Mountain National Park. Her most recent blog post expresses just how easy it is to get out and have fun on snowshoes with the family!-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------2.13.09A Whole Different Kind of Wild and Wonderful

It's been a month now since I have joined the wonderful community of women that makes up The Women's Wilderness Institute. Mondays have become something to look forward to on the long drive in from Denver. I know there will always be hot water waiting to turn into tea and a smiling face to share the past weekend's news with as I eat my oatmeal and peruse the Daily Camera for interesting articles related to the outdoors and women or something interesting to check into around town. In this time, surrounded by the beautiful, strong, dedicated women that make up our little office, my eyes and mind, as I had hoped upon entering into this internship, have really been opened to the idea of exploring and experiencing the wilderness.
read more 

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2.6.09Silverton Mountain Trip by Jody RadtkeI've been thinking a lot lately about what makes up the essential qualities of a Women's Wilderness course. Last weekend I had the opportunity to really put this question into action as I went to ski at Silverton Mountain in southwestern Colorado.

We were a group of seven women. We laughed a lot. We shared good food. We supported one another, as well as challenged one another.
Read more

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1.30.09Year-End Campaign Raises $48,000!A huge thank you to everyone who responded with a donation to support the work of The Women's Wilderness Institute. The spirit of giving warmed our hearts as we felt this strong support from our individual donors who believe that confident, resilient girls and women make a stronger world! This positions us to be able to once again make the Girls Wilderness and Community Programs available to girls of all income levels, and to continue our commitment to never turn away a girl based on ability to pay.
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1.23.09Women's Wilderness Institute Community Programs and Media Culture

In our afterschool program, Girls on the Rise, lead facilitator Lindsay Miller feels strongly that media affects everyone today, specifically girls and women. Below she discusses the importance of understanding the culture of media and how her program helps girls navigate and understand how this affects their life and to make positive choices.

Why is Womens Wilderness discussing Media?

Since our mission is to strengthen the courage, confidence and leadership qualities of girls and women through the support and challenge of wilderness and community-based experiences we have an investment in the psychological, physical and emotional well-being of women and girls. Research shows that media have a huge impact on the way women and girls feel about themselves and this directly impacts our mission; that is why it is a relevant and pertinent topic for Womens Wilderness and our support of strong women and girls in this world.
Read more....

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1.22.09Tune in to TWWI on TV!

TWWI's very own Jody Radtke was recently featured on CHANNEL 9 (NBC).Sports Anchor Susie Wargin spoke with Jody about The Women's Wilderness Institute during her Janauary 22nd 6:20 Sidebar segment. Take two minutes to watch Jody's interview, which was broadcast from The Spot Bouldering Gym in Boulder, and learn more about TWWI's unique way of working with girls and women.

Read Susie's bio or view some of her other 6:20 Sidebar segments.

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1.19.09New Ice Climbing Dates
Ice Climbing Intro has been rescheduled for Saturday, February 7. Sunny skies over Boulder have made our days great for lots of outdoor adventures, but the ice has been slow to form this year! Join us on Feb 7, when the frozen stuff should be ready to scale. 

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1.16.09Volunteer Spotlight!By now, most of the tinsel and confetti are cleaned up and the holiday season is behind us. These are not the only reminders of "the season of giving," every time one of our volunteers bursts through the door, smiling and ready for a fun day of helping and sharing in what we do is a reminder of ways in which people are staying connected and giving back to our community. In this same spirit, we'd like to recognize one of our volunteers: Victoria Hutchinson! Victoria is a recent addition to our volunteer family at The Women's Wilderness Institute and a shining example of one of the many volunteers who share their knowledge, experience, and appreciation for giving back.
Read entire article

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1.12.09TWWI on TV!Stay Tuned!Due to Monday's big morning snowstorm, Boulder's TV tower was down and Channel 9's Susie Wargin was unable to interview Jody live (see below). The segemt will hopefully air another morning this week...so watch Channel 9 at 6:20am or check back here for updates on when it will run.

Set your alarm clocks because TWWI's very own Jody Radtke will be featured on CHANNEL 9 (NBC) News this coming Monday Morning, January 12 at 6:20am. Sports Anchor Susie Wargin will interview Jody for her 6:20 Sidebar segment. Jody will be coming to households across Colorado live from The Spot Bouldering Gym in Boulder, talking about TWWI's winter programs and our unique way of working with girls and women.

Read Susie's bio or view some of her other 6:20 Sidebar segments.

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1.10.09Winter WanderingsWomen of winter are you tired of looking out your window another morning and seeing a sky void of beautiful snowflakes? Are you seriously considering putting on a pair of shorts? Are your skis and boards getting dusty waiting for that next big snow?

Never fear The Women's Wilderness Institute is here! Run away with us this weekend to a backcountry full of snow and increase your confidence and knowledge in Backcountry Basics on Sunday Jan 11. Or, join us for Intro to Telemark on Saturday Jan 10 and free your heels and mind on the slopes of Eldora and escape your fresh powder blues by challenging your self with something new.

Next weekend: hit the ice with our Ice Climbing Intro on Jan 18. If you already have some experience and are ready to take your skills to the next level, take our Intermediate Ice Climbing course on February 7.

We're also offering a course for moms and daughters to adventure together with our Daughter-Parent Snowshoe course on February 21. 

Click here to check out what else is on our skills and adventure list this winter. Visit our calendar page to see what dates fit our schedule or jump right to our registration page to sign up online. 

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12.17.08Winter Workout Wisdom One of our favorite ways to beat the winter blues is exercising outside. Whether you like to hike, bike, run, ski, snowshoe or snowboard, integrate these tips for staying toasty and inspired to make the most of winter fun.We tapped the collective brains of experts from The Women's Wilderness Institute and Fitness for Living about preparing, both physically and mentally for outdoor activities as the mercury drops.

The essentials for any winter outing:

1. Hydrate.
2. Regulate your body temperature.
3. Ditch the damp clothes ASAP.
4. Cool down and stretch.
5. Protect your extremities - hands, feet and head.

Sustained Sports Savvy: tips for longer trips

1. Don't over dress.
2. Bring the 10 essentials.
3. Keep your cool if you get lost or confused.
4. Be observant and aware.
5. Take a course and learn new skills.

Aerobic Activity Acumen: advice for staying warm while moving fast

1. Consider wind chill when preparing to go out.
2. Warm up slowly. up.
3. Modify your exercise expectations.
4. Stay safe in icy conditions.
5. If you get chilled, get indoors quickly.

This is just the tip of the iceberg, read the full article with details about each of these 15 winter exercise essentials.

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12.4.08Marketing DirectorOur search is on for one amazing individual whose combined marketing expertise and passion for The Women's Wilderness Institute will drive communication about our groundbreaking and impactful programs. This highly skilled and experienced professional will lead the strategy, development and execution of all marketing, communications, media and public relations for The Women's Wilderness Institute.The application deadline for this position has passed.

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12.1.08Double Your Donation DollarsSpecial Matching Grant until December 2008A group of Foundations and individuals have joined together to create a pool of dollars for a challenge grant. Until December 31, 2008, any donation you make to The Women's Wilderness Institute will be matched, dollar for dollar, up to an amount of $19,000! Many thanks to the Argosy and Brett Foundations, the Triton Fund, and Leadership Donors Liz Armstrong, Louisa Jornayvaz, Brad Armstrong and Julie Dolin for this generous matching gift! To be a part of this exciting challenge and help us reach our goal, please donate online today or call us at 303.938.9191.  

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11.19.08Moving Mountains 2008 a great success!With the beautiful backdrop of the mountains just west of Denver, folks enjoyed great food, conversation and an informative lecture and discussion with Jean Kilbourne, Ed.D. With a great mix of support from teachers, students, parents and other members of the community - 150 enthusiastic guests in all - there was certainly lots of lively discussion! Jean engaged the audience with her thought provoking comments on today's media and the commercialization of our youth.Thanks to everyone for making our Moving Mountains 2008 a special evening and for supporting The Women's Widerness Institute! The evening's success can be attributed to our committed Board Members, our helpful volunteers and all the guests in attendance! Click here to read more about this fantastic event!

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11.7.08Marketing Internship We're looking for one outstanding individual to join our team and make a big difference getting the word out about The Women's Wilderness Institute. This fast-paced, diverse job is an unbeatable opportunity to learn about marketing practices and tactics for a small, and quickly growing, nonprofit. You'll have tons of opportunity to put your talents and enthusiasm to good work, planning our biggest annual fundraiser, Gear & Cheer, publicizing our wide range of summer courses, managing our volunteer Street Team and much more. If you are passionate about our mission, have prior applicable experience and excel at juggling lots of interesting projects with keen attention to detail, we'd love to hear from you! This position has been filled ~ thank you for your interest and check back next year.

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10.8.08A New Look for TWWI Welcome to our new website! Do you love what you see? We sure do. We've been strategizing for several months, laying the foundation for a site that will be easier for you to use, and chock full of new photos and interesting information about The Women's Wilderness Institute as we celebrate our 10th Anniversary.

Please help us in extending a mountain's worth of grattitude to the talented web designers at Civic Pixel, a company that specializes in creating sustainable websites, brand identities and print materials for organizations dedicated to positive change. It's been a true pleasure to work with folks who believe so deeply in what we do at TWWI, and who are such amazingly accomplished web professionals. Thank you Brian, Sharee and Jackie for taking on this project with incredible love and dedication.

And, we'd be delighted to hear from you, members of the Women's Wilderness community. We welcome any feedback with regard to what you like, what's hard to find, anything you'd like to share. Please send your comments to Wendy, our marketing director. 

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8.10.08Ten Years of Strong Girls and Strong Women Contribute to a Better WorldSomething feels a little different in The Women's Wilderness Institute office this morning. Our storage room is filled with drying tents, sleeping bags slated for the laundromat and leftover s'mores ingredients. It's quieter than usual around here, but it's a day of celebration! Our final 2008 Girls' Wilderness Course came home last night, filling our world with the smiles and stories of ten teenage girls overflowing with pride and self-confidence.

2008 was TWWI's tenth season of wilderness courses for girls. Originally called, Girlz in the Wood, the program has grown from serving 17 girls in 1998 to welcoming 117 in this summer, over 50% of whom received some level of need-based financial aid. To read more about TWWI's growth over the years, check out our timeline. Click here to read letters from some of the girls who attended Girls ' Wilderness courses this summer.

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8.2.08Paddle, Pose, Relax & Refresh Paddle, Pose, Relax and Refresh for 5 days on the Green River with Women's Wilderness and The Yoga Workshop. Our yoga trips receive rave reviews every summer! Folks really enjoy the rejuvenating combination of daily yoga practice and stunning wilderness studios. Join us September 10-14 for a Green River Yoga Retreat with superstar instructor, Martha Griffin from The Yoga Workshop, returning for her second year with TWWI. Cliffnotes spoke with Martha between a family canoe retreat in Canada and training for her next triathlon.

Cliffnotes: How did you connect with yoga and why do you love it so much?
Martha Griffin: I've always prioritized my play time. I run, hike, bike, ski, all great ways to enjoy the wilderness and work up tight, tense muscles. Yoga's been my antidote, it's helped me open my muscles, alleviate pain and take my training to new levels, both physically and emotionally. I've been teaching for 15 years and I love doing yoga outdoors-it adds a whole new level of mental flexibility and creativity.

CN: What's your personal approach to yoga?
MG: To me, yoga is a moving meditation. It's just such a beautiful, therapeutic, centering practice. I think the more you challenge yourself, the deeper the inner connections. You might be working into a pose that's difficult on the outside but the effort is driven by a quiet inner place in the mind. Yoga is simultaneously peaceful and vigorous; the more you put into your practice the more relaxing it become.

CN: Tell us about your teaching style
MG: I like to flow with what the group needs. I bring students into their personal yoga by coaching them through the moves, helping them connect with the physical side of the poses so they can really focus on what they're doing. I try to keep it simple. I also love to work with breath and how it affects posture.

CN: What's your favorite pose?
MG: Janu Sirsasana, it's a seated forward fold, where one knee drops off to the side. It's been the saving grace for my over-wrought hamstrings and so rewarding because when I started, hamstring stretches were really rough. Now, I just melt into my muscles, one at time.

CN: How will the group feel after the retreat?
MG: Oh, we'll be smiling, feeling rejuvenated, refreshed, oh, and perhaps a little grimy.
Click here for more information on the Green River Yoga Retreat September 14-20 and to read Martha’s bio.

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