Imagine being 90 years old and fishing and hunting over 250 days a year

Can you imagine fishing and hunting over 250 days per year? Having the drive (or the time) to be on the water and in the woods that often, year after year, is likely fairly hard to imagine even for most die-hards out there. But what about at 90 years old? For Leigh H. Perkins, who purchased The Orvis Company over 50 years ago and turned it into the expansive fly fishing, hunting and outdoor lifestyle brand it is today, more than 250 days a year spent hunting and fishing isn't hard to imagine at all—because at 90, he's still doing it.

Sure, owning one of the most successful outdoor apparel and equipment brands in American history affords one a lot of privileges—like getting to chase trout or hunt ducks whenever you please. But Perkins hasn't just used Orvis' success to afford himself more leisure time. Early on, Perkins cemented Orvis's commitment to the preservation of nature and today—thanks in no small part to the fact that Orvis donates 5% of all its pre-tax profits to protecting nature (in the form of grants for conservation non-profits, community projects, and other organizations doing impactful work)—Orvis remains one of the leading corporate role models in the conservation arena.

Orvis' conservation partnerships are myriad, with the company supporting dozens of organizations such as Trout Unlimited, Conservation Hawks, American Rivers, the Atlantic Salmon Federation, the Deschutes River Alliance, the Everglades Foundation, the National Wildlife Federation, Stripers Forever, the Wild Steelhead Coalition, Casting for Recovery, and Bonefish & Tarpon Trust, just to name a few.

Photo: The Orvis Company

Besides being best known for his success in propelling Orvis from a small Vermont company to an internationally recognized outdoor brand and for establishing Orvis' firm stance on conservation, Leigh is also warmly known as a dedicated father and grandfather—who passionately shared his love of hunting, fishing and the outdoors—to the entire Perkins family, which today oversees Orvis' day to day operations (though Leigh still serves as Chairman of the Board). To highlight Orvis' commitment to nature and Leigh's legacy as head of The Orvis Company and Perkins' family, Orvis has recently relaunched its video 90 and Counting which the Manchester, Vermont company originally released last summer.

It's a short, warm film that celebrates family and Orvis' dedication to conservation. With Father's Day right around the corner, Orvis' timing is just right.