“What is POWR?” you may ask. Well, any of the more than 80 women who participated last weekend will tell you that POWR stands for Palmetto Outdoor Women’s Retreat. It is an event which filled up the day registration opened as women eagerly prepared to grow their knowledge of the outdoors. At POWR, participants build community by gathering with women from all over the state to learn new outdoor skills together.

During the weekend, women participated in a variety of classes including archery, kayaking, birding, boating and trailering, fishing and more! Our superstar volunteer instructors created a welcoming environment so everyone could feel comfortable being introduced to new activities and obtaining new skills. And this was all accomplished amidst the beautiful nature at Hickory Knob Resort State Park.

In addition to our traditional activities, this year we took time to commemorate Dan Turpin, who is the reason POWR exists. Gathering around a bonfire with commemorative buttons we told stories about Dan and the impact he had on us as individuals and the retreat as a whole. We’re forever grateful for all he did, working tirelessly to put on the retreat year after year. The weekend wasn’t the same without him but Dan’s legacy lives on at POWR.

In addition to the weekend event, SCWF offers several one day events called POWR+ for women including the upcoming POWR+ Shotgun Orientation on November 6 in Eastover, SC.

Thank you to our partners and sponsors!

The retreat is presented by the South Carolina Wildlife Federation. We are especially grateful to our sponsors, Comporium, SC Department of Natural Resources, Fish America Foundation, Zman, Barron’s Outfitters, National Shooting Sports Foundation, and the BassPro/Cabela’s Outdoor Fund. These partnerships enable us to provide a wide variety of activities conducted by a diverse group of expert instructors.

A special thank you is due to the numerous individual volunteers who so willingly donate their time to share their knowledge and expertise.