Wendell Berry is a celebrated American poet, novelist, farmer and longtime activist. During his long, storied career, Berry has engaged in civil disobedience, written, and spoken in defiance of the Vietnam War, nuclear power, fossil fuel dependence, soil degradation, the death penalty, industrialized programs that burden small farmers, the destruction of rural communities, coal power, coal ash pollution, mountaintop removal and much more.

Berry penned those words in his poem, Below, speaking as a lifelong farmer, of the dirt beneath his feet. Those words, as well as Berry's life and body of work, serve as the inspiration for a new campaign from iconic outdoor brand Patagonia. Created in partnership with Brooklyn-based design firm The Young Jerks, the campaign takes the form of a shareable poster, and aims to serve as a rallying cry, one to inspire anglers and others to take action—not to protect the places they stand on, but the waters they stand in.

“It’s our job to inspire, educate and support a broad-based community of fish activists,” said Ted Manning, Patagonia’s director of fly fishing. “Patagonia’s mission is to save our home planet, and for us, specifically, to fight for wild fish and wild waters. We’re constantly searching for innovative ways to get that message across. We wanted creativity and spirit, and we wanted it out before the upcoming election because the stakes are so high.”

Image credit: Patagonia

The midcentury-themed, supersaturated poster art is downloadable free of charge online in a size suitable for not just sharing on social media, but printing as well. Patagonia is hoping that anglers and others with share the poster widely, stating "Share the Love. Share the Poster."

“We really hope that our take, ‘We Stand for the Waters We Stand In,’ will resonate and inspire anglers to activism,” added Manning. “It’s a simple message, but it’s powerful. It works hand in hand with Patagonia’s ongoing “It’s All Home Water” storytelling, emphasizing our commitment to support anglers who are fighting to ensure a future that includes wild fish and wild waters.”

To download and share the “We Stand for the Waters We Stand In” poster and make your plan to vote, visit https://pat.ag/we-stand-for-the-waters-we-stand-in.