Buckin' Babes+ Chainsaw Workshop up-close

Buckin' Babes+ 2.0

Part of our Redwing Core Curriculum, this chainsaw workshop is designed specifically for women+ and offers a welcoming, supportive environment to build skills and confidence with this essential tool.

Overview

A beginners chainsaw workshop for
women+ interested in land-based
skills.

Secure Your Spot!

Date:

September 5th-7th

Location: Redwing Ranch, Huerfano County, CO

Agenda Highlights & Overview:

Buckin’ Babes+ is back!
This immersive chainsaw workshop is built for women and gender-expansive folks eager to gain land-based skills and confidence with a saw. Over the course of the weekend, participants will build technical know-how in a supportive, hands-on environment.

Day 1 covers chainsaw safety, maintenance, and basic cutting techniques.
Day 2 dives deeper into real-world applications — from pile burning and brush clearing to felling and fuel reduction strategies.

What You’ll Learn:

Chainsaw basics: function, safety, and operation
Hands-on cutting techniques and log work
Chainsaw maintenance: sharpening, bar oil, fuel mix, and cleaning
Tree limbing and technical cutting skills
Introduction to felling and safe assessment
Fuel management strategies: shaded fuel breaks, pile burning, and defensible space
Building confidence in real-world, outdoor conditions

Who Should Attend?

Anyone who is curious and eager to learn! No prior experience is necessary—just a willingness to get hands-on and learn in a supportive community. Anyone who identifies as a woman or a gender marginalized identity is invited and welcome in this space!

What’s Included:

Experienced instruction from an all-woman+ instructor team
Use of chainsaws, PPE, and all necessary tools
Meals & lodging options at Redwing Ranch - the workshop includes accommodations Friday & Saturday night lodging and meals included
Camping space for additional participants
For more information, email: info@redwingranch.farm.

Are you a local? Email us at info@redwingranch.farm to get a locals discount

Buckin’ Babes+ Weekend Schedule

Friday, Sept 5:

4:30 PM – Arrival & check-in

6:30 PM – Welcome dinner

Saturday, Sept 6:

Full day of chainsaw instruction, hands-on practice, and group rotations

Breakfast, lunch, and dinner provided

Sunday, Sept 7:

Morning tree felling & pile burn practice

Breakfast and lunch provided

Closing circle & departures by early afternoon

Tiered Pricing

Tier 1 // Belle of the Woods - $650

Choose this tier if you’re well-established in your ranching or land-based work and have stable financial resources, land security, and food access. By selecting this tier, you’re not just investing in your own education—you’re fueling a more inclusive learning space by helping offset costs for beginners and those with fewer financial resources. Your contribution helps pay skilled instructors, cover equipment costs, and create a space where more women can gain the confidence and technical know-how to handle a chainsaw safely and effectively long after the workshop ends. This tier includes specialty housing and a private bedroom in a ranch house.

Tier 2 // Crosscut Cowgirl - $350

Choose this tier if you’re actively growing your ranching or land management skills—whether you’re leasing land, building infrastructure, or balancing a tight budget while working toward financial stability. You’ve got grit and determination, but you know that mastering a chainsaw is a key skill that will serve you for years to come. By choosing this tier, you’re investing in practical, hands-on training that will help you take control of your own land management while also making this workshop sustainable and ensuring our instructors are paid their worth. This tier includes a bed in the ranch house.

Tier 3 // Buckin' Beginner - $200

Choose this tier if you’re in the early years of ranching or land stewardship and are working with limited financial resources. Maybe you’ve never picked up a chainsaw, or maybe you’ve used one but don’t quite feel confident yet—either way, this workshop is designed to give you real, hard skills that you can take home and apply immediately, whether it's clearing fence lines, processing firewood, or maintaining your land. This tier offers an accessible way to get hands-on experience in a supportive, women-led space while still contributing to the larger community effort. This tier includes camping on the ranch.

Secure Your Spot!

Erin Sheridan (she/her)

Erin got her start on a logging team in college, where she learned the fundamentals of chainsaw operation, safety, and maintenance. She quickly took to the sport, becoming a serious rookie competitor in the Timbersports world, honing her technical skills in events like crosscut sawing and axe throwing. She later worked on sawyer crews, building shaded fuel breaks, felling hazard trees, and tackling large-scale fuels reduction projects. She also led a sawyer crew on a ranch, improving road accessibility, creating shaded fuel breaks, and enhancing land management through strategic chainsaw use. In addition, she has hosted the Cal Poly Logging Team for workdays, providing guidance on practical chainsaw applications in ranching and fuels management.

Lou Bean (they/them)

Lou Bean is a saw crew leader and wildland firefighter from Colorado currently working in the Central and Southern counties. In addition to fire mitigation, prescribed burning, suppression, and burn scar recovery work, Bean is passionate about empowering community members and early career professionals with training and education, both in their work leading saw and burn crews with Southwest Conservation Corps, coordinating the Neighborhood Ambassador outreach program with SPAWP, and volunteering as a structural and wildland firefighter with Chaffee County Fire. Bean studied both Construction Coordination and Environmental Science and completed a thesis on Fire Ecology in the Wildland Urban Interface and has since worked for the National Parks Service and the US Forest Service in addition to their current gigs. Bean also runs The Blaze Project, which designs fire ecology curriculum for classrooms and non-traditional learning environments.

Victoria Schmalz (she/her)

Victoria Schmalz lives in Delta County, Colorado with her husband on their 700 acre family farm, where they raise grain corn and pinto beans. When she's not out irrigating, she's usually out playing with chainsaws and driving around the country for her work with STIHL Inc. Her background with chainsaws started as a small engine mechanic working in a hardware store, where eventually she worked her way up through different companies to get where she is now. She enjoys the ability to train others in the industry, and to share her experiences in the agricultural world.

Megan Jackson (she/her)

Megan lives in Pueblo County with her husband and 3 children on a small hobby farm. When she isn’t chasing her kids or chickens around, she’s chasing cows in her free time for reined cow horse and ranch versatility competitions. Megan has always had a knack for mechanics and started her career as a service coordinator in a small engine shop for a farm and ranch group 10 years ago. A position opened with STIHL Inc. to allow her to continue to grow in her career and she has been traveling the country as a Territory Manager for the past 6 years. Training, providing sales support and building relationships with end users are just a few of the many facets that being a Territory Manager entails, and she enjoys the ability to bring her knowledge and experience to a career she loves.

"My time spent running chainsaws with Erin was truly invaluable. Not only did I learn how to limb, buck, and fall trees under various conditions, but I also gained a deep understanding of equipment care, maintenance, and the importance of respecting your tools. Erin fosters a great learning environment by breaking everything down into manageable bits and ensuring that no question feels too small. She embodies the philosophy that the best way to learn is to just dive in! The skills I’ve gained are something I’ll cherish forever and am incredibly grateful to have in my back pocket when tackling new challenges in and out of the woods!"

- Nikki Bright

Thank you to our past sponsors—your support helps keep this workshop going, and we welcome continued partnerships to grow the impact of Buckin’ Babes+

info@redwingranch.farm

Cancellation Policy

Ticket Policy – Buckin’ Babes Chainsaw Workshop
We understand that plans can change, and we want to be as flexible as possible while ensuring the sustainability of this workshop. Please review our cancellation and refund policy before purchasing your ticket.

Registration & Waitlist:
You can join our waitlist and will be notified prior to the event.

Cancellation & Refund Policy:

30+ Days Before Workshop: Full 100% refund available.
29-15 Days Before Workshop: 50% refund available.
14 Days or Less Before Workshop: No refunds available.
If you can no longer attend, we encourage you to transfer your ticket to someone else. Please contact us at info@redwingranch.farm for assistance with transfers.

By purchasing a ticket, you agree to these terms. We appreciate your understanding and look forward to an amazing weekend!