Angler, wildlife biologist, outdoor educator, and stand-up comedian seeking to bring more people of color to the outdoors.

The only person in Eeland Stribling’s family who could be considered “outdoorsy” was Eeland’s grandfather, a wildlife biologist who taught Eeland a love of nature and animals. That inspired him to follow in his grandfather’s footsteps, eventually earning his degree in Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology.

The love of fishing came in college, when Eeland and his then girlfriend signed up for a fly-tying class together. “The relationship with the girl didn’t work out,” Eeland says with a smile, “but the fish stuck around.”

After graduation, Eeland worked as a nuisance wildlife tech and an aquatic tech for Colorado Parks & Wildlife. Now, he is the East Slope Angler Representative for the Colorado Wildlife Council.

Eeland’s passion for outdoor education and community outreach led him to teach at Lincoln Hills Cares, once the only Black outdoor recreation space west of the Mississippi and now a learning center serving youth, historians, and BIPOC communities. “I think it would be cool to teach people who look like me or people who have never had the opportunity to enjoy nature and wildlife,” Eeland says. “You can’t be what you can’t see.”

Creating a safe space and community for Black and Brown anglers is one of Eeland’s personal goals. He works closely with Brown Folks Fishing, a non-profit building a community of BIPOC anglers, inspiring conservation, and sparking joy.

Eeland has even managed to combine his love of fishing, conservation, and community outreach with another passion: stand-up comedy. Described as “your aunty’s favorite comedian,” he’s the winner of the 2019 Comedy Works Clean Competition and is a regular at spots like Comedy Works, Laugh Boston, Idiotbox, and Denver Improv. He’s taken his show on the road, performing at several festivals around the country and launching the YouTube series “Comedians on the Fly,” where he takes comedians flyfishing.

Today, Eeland works with Cottonwood Institute and other outdoor ed agencies in and around Colorado. But if he isn’t at work or on stage, you’ll catch him at a local waterway, probably with his dog, Wilfred.