Women in the Woods

Women in the Woods launches at Lime Hollow Nature Center with a brand-new outdoor education series designed to empower women and non-binary folks of all ages, abilities, body types, and experience levels to feel confident getting outside.

Never hiked before? You’re in.
Getting back into it after a long break? Still you.

This series is all about making nature feel welcoming, doable, and fully yours. Especially in an outdoor industry that hasn’t always made space for everyone. We see that gap, and we’re here to help you reclaim your wild. Because the woods belong to everyone.

Why Join Women in the Woods?

  • Supportive, judgment-free learning environment

  • Body-inclusive and beginner-friendly approach

  • Skill-building that helps you feel prepared not intimidated outside

  • A chance to connect with community while learning something new

Come curious, come hungry, and leave with the confidence to cook up your next adventure outdoors.

Upcoming Dates

You can register for a single class at $55 or as a package for $180. REGISTER NOW

  • Camp Cooking for the Trail | Sunday, April 26 | 1-3PM | $55 for SINGLE class or $180 for ALL 4

    What to Expect

    Learning how to eat well and deliciously outside. Because let’s be real… we cannot survive on beef jerky and M&Ms alone.

    Whether you’re planning a backcountry backpacking trip or simply want to upgrade your hiking picnic game, this camp cooking class will teach practical skills to help you stay fueled, hydrated, and ready for adventure.

    What You’ll Learn

    • Hands-on experience cooking a hot meal using a backcountry stove

    • The basics of cold soaking and when it makes sense on the trail

    • How much food to pack (without overloading your pack weight)

    • Hydration essentials and smart strategies for hiking

    • Intro to water filtering and backcountry water safety

    • A few favorite, delicious, trail-tested recipe that you can tweak to your taste

    Who This Class Is For

    • Women and non-binary folks of all ages, abilities, and experience levels

    • Beginner hikers looking to build confidence outdoors

    • Backpackers who want to simplify meal planning

    • Anyone curious about outdoor cooking and practical trail skills

  • Women in the Woods: Navigating the Trail class at Lime Hollow Nature Center | May 17 (10am-12pm) | $55 for SINGLE class or $180 for ALL 4

    Ever open AllTrails or flip through a guidebook and think… okay, but how does this actually translate once my boots hit the ground? Or step off trail for a quick “nature break” and suddenly wonder which direction the trail even is? You’re not alone. This beginner-friendly navigation class is here to help. As part of the Women in the Woods series, this hands-on outdoor workshop will introduce the fundamentals of navigating with confidence. Participants will learn basics of how to interpret a topographical map, use a compass, and choose the best trials for them, using real-world practice, not just theory.

    What to Expect

    • Beginner-friendly instruction — no prior experience needed

    • Hands-on learning outdoors at Lime Hollow

    • Real navigation practice as you work through the woods

    • Supportive, judgment-free environment

    What You’ll Learn

    • Basics of topographical map reading

    • How to properly use a compass

    • Understanding trail markers, terrain features, and direction

    • Simple navigation techniques to keep you from feeling turned around

    • Partake in a friendly scavenger hunt in the woods

    Who This Class Is For

    • Women and non-binary folks who want to feel more confident hiking independently

    • Beginners who rely on apps but want usable navigation skills

    • Hikers curious about map and compass basics

    • Anyone who’s ever thought, “I should probably know how to do this.”

    • Come ready to learn, explore, and finally understand what those squiggly lines on a map actually mean.

  • Guided Herbal Walk at Lime Hollow Nature Center | June 20 (10am-12pm) | $55 for SINGLE class or $180 for ALL 4

    Step into the woods and steep something wild. As part of the Women in the Woods series, participants will join local herbalist Cindy Johnson for a guided walk through Lime Hollow, learning how to identify wild herbs and greens that can be transformed into trail-ready teas.

    Along the way, Cindy will share seasonal foraging tips, highlight medicinal properties of common plants, and introduce other local species you can gather responsibly throughout the year. At the end of the hike, participants will craft their own custom wildcrafted tea blend to take home, a little taste of the forest in every cup.

    What to Expect

    • Guided herbal foraging walk through Lime Hollow

    • Plant identification focused on tea-making herbs and greens

    • Intro to medicinal properties and seasonal foraging tips

    • Hands-on tea crafting at the end of the hike

    • Take-home wildcrafted tea blend for each participant

    • Come ready to wander, learn, and taste the forest one cup at a time.

    About Cindy Johnson

    Cindy Johnson is the owner of Nipotina Tea & Herb Farm, a small, sustainably managed herb farm based in Cortland, New York. Through her boutique herbal tea business, Cindy crafts thoughtfully blended teas using herbs she grows herself alongside responsibly wild-harvested plants from the local landscape. Her work is rooted in seasonal rhythms, ethical foraging practices, and a deep respect for the natural world. One of Cindy’s greatest passions is creating herbal blends that support women’s wellness, combining traditional plant knowledge with a practical, approachable style of teaching. Whether she’s leading a foraging walk or sharing a warm cup of tea, Cindy invites others to slow down, connect with the land, and discover the power of plants in everyday life.

  • Women in the Woods: Shakedown — Backpacking 101 Guided Skills Hike at Lime Hollow Nature Center | July 11 (9am-12pm) | $55 for SINGLE class or $180 for ALL 4

    Ready to take your outdoor adventures to the next level? Shakedown: Backpacking 101 is a hands-on, beginner-friendly women guided hike designed to help you prepare for your first overnight in the backcountry, without the guesswork.

    Participants will bring basic backpacking essentials: shelter, sleep system, food and water. Each will arrive with their pack and everything else they think they need for a trip.

    • We’ll help you properly fit and load your pack, “shake down” your gear, and make sure you’re carrying what you need — not what you don’t. Then we’ll hit the trail for a 2–4-mile guided day hike, practicing real-world backpacking skills along the way.

    • During a mid-hike break, participants will enjoy a backcountry lunch, and practice setting up their tents and sleep systems giving everyone a chance to work out any kinks

    • before committing themselves to their first overnight adventure.

    What You’ll Learn

    • How to pack for an overnight backpacking trip

    • How to fit, adjust, and balance your pack

    • Lightweight packing tips and gear essentials

    • How to enjoy a meal on the trail

    • Camp setup practice in a supportive environment

    What to Expect

    • 2–4 mile guided skills hike at a comfortable pace

    • Hands-on learning with real gear and real scenarios

    • A welcoming, judgment-free space for women and non-binary participants

    • Practical preparation for future overnight trips

    • Note: New to backpacking and don’t have any equipment? No problem! Bring what you have or borrow our gear for the class and test out what you need for future overnight hikes. RESERVE EQUIPMENT HERE

    • Come ready to learn, adjust, and build the confidence to carry your home on your back.

Register for the series now

Can’t make those dates but you’re very intrested in future programming? Fill out an interest form. WOMEN IN THE WOODS INTEREST FORM