Oliver Classen started the West Virginia University BHA Club in February, under the continued pressures of COVID, but has been achieving monumental success. With his team of student leaders, they have completed more in their first semester than some clubs have over their entire existence. Oliver has been instrumental in securing local sponsorships, hosted a virtual Pint Night, established a weekly club Rendezvous, and has become a regular submitter of content for BHA’s Field to Table blog (check out these posts, co-authored by Classen and Jacob Lam: Vietnamese Venison Pho and White Wine Braised Groundhog). As a testament to all they've done, WVU won the G.O.A.T. contest, which awards clubs points for everything they complete each semester, such as stewardship projects, outreach events, video submissions and social media posts.
Oliver is a West Virginia native hunter and angler with a big heart for the state. He is dedicated to conserving the state's habitat for its diverse native species, and knows that West Virginia can be wild and wonderful with the best of them. Oliver wants to ensure that the next generation has the opportunity to experience the pure wildness public lands have to offer. He also believes that things just taste better outside, and he's passionate about showing others how amazing wild game can be around a campfire. Oliver has been instrumental in leading the first club in West Virginia to success, and we expect to see big things as he continues to grow BHA at WVU.