Perk Perkins on Conserving the Great Outdoors

Perk Perkins is an outdoorsman. He is never happier than when he is hiking, fishing, paddling or diving. And while he has traveled to some of the world’s most glorious landscapes—from Belize to Raja Ampat to the banks of the Battenkill River—in pursuit of his passions, the place that made the most lasting impact on him is not quite as well known: Hoyt’s Pond, just southeast of Cleveland, Ohio.

“My earliest memories of being in nature are there, on camping trips with my dad and brother,” he says.

“We would head out in a row boat and go bass fishing. I can still remember seeing this enormous bass swimming in the pond, and just being so excited. I grabbed my rod and threw it at the bass along with this huge bird’s nest of a tangle. Luckily I’ve improved my technique a bit since then.”

The experiences Perkins had at Hoyt’s Pond kicked off a lifetime of fishing adventures and formed the foundation of his appreciation for nature, “which is at the heartbeat of why I am motivated to do more for conservation.” Today, Perkins considers his environmental work to be an obligation—but in the best possible way.

“It’s my pay-to-play—my price of admission,” he says. “I am lucky enough to enjoy some of my most meaningful life moments in great landscapes, great waters and marine environments. So I consider my work with WWF to be my rolling admission fee. I’m contributing energy and resources to conservation, helping to keep the wonders of nature alive and healthy and hopefully protected for future generations. It’s the least I can do.”