Olivia Lappin did not grow up hunting. It wasn’t until about four years ago, when she was getting her master’s degree at Mississippi State University researching Northern bobwhite in agricultural landscapes, that she first tried the outdoor sport.

While Lappin is now based in West Point, working as a biologist for the landscape conservation nonprofit Quail Forever, she told The Dispatch she is still personally passionate about helping other women get outdoors. It’s part of why she and fellow Quail Forever biologist Aubree Plymale are hoping to form a new North Mississippi and Alabama chapter of Women on the Wing – a group that focuses on helping connect women with conservation and the outdoors.

“I thought there might be other folks who are interested and just kind of don’t have those people to help them get outdoors or don’t even know where to start,” Lappin said. “Because it is difficult to get into the outdoors and hunting and learning about it, (without) having people guide you.”

Lappin and Plymale are hosting Birds & Brews at 6 p.m. Sept. 17 at Munson and Brothers in Columbus, where they plan to eat pizza, hold lawn games and raffles and introduce attendees to the organization. Online free pre-registration for the event is encouraged, and a QR code can be found on the Munson and Brothers Facebook Page.

Pheasants Forever and its Quail Forever division are nonprofits focused on conserving wildlife through habitat improvements, public access to education and conservation advocacy. Both nonprofits have more than 700 chapters across the United States and part of Canada, according to the Pheasants Forever website.

Women on the Wing chapters share the same goal, though they are typically led and made up of primarily female members. Lappin said the chapters are typically started by outdoor enthusiasts, though Lappin and Plymale both happen to be Quail Forever employees who both felt passionately about starting one in their areas.

“There are not many Women on the Wing chapters in the southeast region, and we were hoping to get one started in Alabama,” Plymale said. “And then I caught up with Olivia and saw she wanted to start one in Mississippi. And we thought it was a good idea to join forces for the first round and see if we can work together to bring interest in both Mississippi and Alabama.”

Plymale said she grew up in the heart of quail country in south Georgia, and she grew up around the hunting community, though she is not a hunter herself. She hopes the new chapter will help a network of women to help each other learn skills like shooting, hunting, fishing and other outdoor sports, along with conservation efforts.

“Some people don’t have anybody in their family who hunts, like most of us have grown up with,” Plymale said. “And we hope to provide those opportunities, and give ladies in this area the opportunity to learn and grow off of one another.”

While the group is women-focused, Lappin said the chapter is open to everybody. The Birds & Brews event, she said, will also be family friendly and attendees are welcome to bring their children with them.

Both biologists said they are looking forward to introducing more people to the outdoors through the group and sharing the love they have with others.

“If anybody is at all interested in something like this, it’s a very open gathering,” Lappin said. “You do not have to have any experience at all in anything outdoors related, or if you are a very experienced hunter and you want to share your knowledge, help out, and learn new skills, it’s open to anybody.”

Once the chapter has enough membership to be established, Lappin said, participants will then decide how frequently they want to meet and the types of events they want to hold. Other successful chapters have hosted learn to hunt and shoot events, fly fishing events, fundraising banquets and more.

For more information, visit pheasantsforever.com.