Eddie Gill Says the Outdoors Needs Everybody

The recipient of NWF’s 2026 Young Leader Award, Gill is working to make sure outdoor recreation welcomes everyone

By Delaney McPherson
NWF News
Sep 23, 2026

EVER SINCE EDDIE GILL'S GRANDFATHER put a fishing rod in Gill’s hands when he was 3 years old, the now-26-year-old has been hooked on the outdoors. His early exposure to nature was so formative, he realized he wanted to dedicate his life to helping other people find a similar connection.

“Growing up, I would oftentimes get comments such as, ‘Black people don’t fish,’ ” says Gill. “That’s one of the things I’m trying to negate. I’m always trying to make sure it’s known that this is a space that is not only for everybody, but it’s a space that needs everybody.”

Inclusivity felt especially important to Gill during the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020—so much so that he decided to plan Journey for a Cause, a 10-day boating trip from Evansville, Indiana, to Navarre Beach, Florida. During the river trip, which Gill embarked on in 2021, he made stops to host fishing clinics promoting inclusivity among young people.

Around the same time, Gill began interning with Friends of the White River, a nonprofit partner of the NWF affiliate Indiana Wildlife Federation that protects outdoor activities on the waterway. During his tenure there, Gill worked his way up to executive director. In early 2026, he began a new position as development director of Camptown, a nationwide nonprofit that brings outdoor activities to underserved communities.

“Getting into a canoe or going into a forest is completely foreign” to the youth he works with, Gill says. “Being able to bridge that gap is very near and dear to me.”