Matthew Crawford at University of Wisconsin – La Crosse is the 2025 WOCA/OHEC Scholarship recipient

Matthew Crawford has established himself as a skilled fisherman and content creator, recognized for his extensive knowledge and experience across the state’s diverse fishing environments. He shares informative content and fishing reports on Instagram and Facebook, offering valuable insights and strategies to help fellow anglers catch more fish. In addition to his social media presence, Matthew has authored several articles on fishing locations and techniques, further cementing his reputation as a trusted source of fishing information. His transparency in sharing the methods behind his consistent success on the water has earned him widespread support within the fishing community.

The WOCA Scholarship Committee is Dave Zeug, Art Barlow, and Laurel Steffes.

Mallary A. Bade at Northland College, 2024 WOCA/OHEC Scholarship recipient

“When I was twelve, I joined an outdoor organization called the Environmental Learning Center (ELC) in Red Wing, MN. My very first trip,

I fell in love ….with the outdoors… through this program and after many false starts at trying to pin down what I wanted to study in college, to do for a career, I came back to my first love, and finally came face to face with what I knew all along, my passion for people and the outdoors fit very nicely into this little thing called outdoor education…I find a lot of joy in writing and a lot of joy in sharing my work with others, I think it’s one of my best ways of communicating…”Deciding to combine these two loves of mine into one amazing melting pot has always made perfect sense to me. My ultimate dream is to have the ability to go outside and write about my experiences. I hope that this will encourage others to make spectacular memories of their own outside and inspire them to want to protect these amazing outdoor spaces we recreate in. In this way, I hope to leave a legacy by helping others to create their own legacies.

 “I honestly cannot believe that an official organization like yours exists for exactly the kind of work I hope to do in the future! I truly think my love of the outdoors and passion for writing about it would make me an excellent recipient for your scholarship and I look forward to hearing from you!”

The WOCA Scholarship Committee is Dave Zeug, Art Barlow, and Laurel Steffes.