BABCOCK, Wis. - Great food makes any experience better, and many outdoors enthusiasts believe that is especially true when the food is prepared and enjoyed in the outdoors.

People interested in refining their outdoor culinary skills can register for an outdoor cooking workshop being offered at the Department of Natural Resources Sandhill Outdoor Skills Center. Participants will practice techniques for creating successful outdoor meals, with special emphasis on the use of Dutch ovens.

“This is a great course for any hunter, angler, or camper,” says Dick Thiel, natural resources educator at the center. “And, of course, any great cook needs to be able to build a fire. We'll cover topics like cooking techniques, equipment, menu ideas and recipes. The best part is participants get to enjoy a lunch of what they and other participants cooked!”

The workshop will be held Saturday, April 19 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Registration is limited to the first 25 people who mail in their $20 per person fee by April 11. Participants may stay overnight in the center’s dorm either prior to or following the event for a donation of $15 per person per night.

Checks should be made out to DNR-Skills Center. Include the name of the class, the names of each participant, and the address, e-mail address, and daytime phone number of one person in each party, and send to: Sandhill Outdoor Skills Center, PO Box 156, Babcock, WI 54413. Inquiries on the status of registrations may be sent via e-mail to: Richard.Thiel@wisconsin.gov.

The Sandhill Outdoor Skills Center [http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/wildlife/reclands/sandhill] is located 20 miles west of Wisconsin Rapids on County Highway X, 1 mile north of Highway 80 near Babcock, Wisconsin on the 9,000 acre Department of Natural Resources Sandhill Wildlife Area.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Sandhill Outdoor Skills Cent at 715-884-6333