First there was BirchBox, then Stitch Fix and Causebox: Subscription services that deliver niche products — in a box — to one’s front door.
Now there is She Goes Outdoors subscription boxes, a partnership between Nebraska, Kansas and Iowa Women in the Outdoors and Becoming an Outdoors Woman programs, to bring outdoor gear to women for women once per season.
“With COVID-19 setting in and changing many of our programming plans for 2020, we were trying to brainstorm how we can still reach our customers without waiting for in-person workshops,†said Micaela Rahe, a recruitment, retention and reactivation coordinator with the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission and the National Wild Turkey Federation. “We wanted to help grow people’s love of the outdoors while many were turning to the outdoors as a safe place to spend time.â€
Subscription boxes, highlighting a new outdoors skill each season, were the answer. The yearlong pilot program focuses on birding this winter, outdoor cooking and foraging in the spring, and fishing next summer. The fall box, which was dedicated to pheasant hunting, sold out this month, and the winter box will be on sale through Oct. 31, if supplies don't run out sooner.
People are also reading…
Each subscription box, which will include gear, educational resources, field guides and more, can be purchased for $50. No long-term commitment is required. Participants pay only for the boxes they want to receive. Boxes are accompanied by a learning objective, and subscribers can participate in a webinar to learn how to use the tools in their box.
“Part of the fun is not knowing what’s inside,†Rahe said, noting the fall box was ordered and shipped to at least five different states, including Virginia.
“If all goes well, we hope the purchase of these boxes will result in ladies learning a new outdoor skill,†Rahe said. “And we hope these subscribers turn into passionate, regular users of the diversity of outdoor programs each of our states offer in the future.â€
Partners on the project include the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism; and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.
Boxes can be purchased at . Find additional resources for exploring and growing their love of the outdoors at
