If a picture is worth 1,000 words, how many words can be inspired by pictures that are thousands of years old? Especially when the pictures are petroglyphs, rock carvings created in Hawaii thousands of years ago to evoke the artists’ involvement with and respect for their natural surroundings.

Words like conservation, stewardship, and fisheries come to mind, as do habitat, natural resources and long-term perspective. But it is responsibility that most comes to mind for fisheries ecologist and avid angler Aaron J. Adams, who has transformed those petroglyph images into a message-inspiring logo known as Tribal Bonefish. He hopes that this symbolic logo rewards responsible behavior already practiced by many anglers, and encourages similar behavior by others.

The striking images encourage anglers to be pro-active rather than reactive in conservation concerns and serve as reminders to work toward healthy fisheries in the future. Beyond fishing, Tribal Bonefish images are graphic prompts to all who are actively involved in the outdoors to act responsibly.

Not a symbol of a group or club, the Tribal Bonefish logo reinforces the message to all who wear and see it: we are as responsible for the outdoors as were our ancestors who first carved those messages.

The website for Tribal Bonefish further expounds on thephilosophy, displays gear bearing the logo and provides links to sites where good things are already happening. Anyone interested in the notion of responsible boating and fishing, who realizes that nature is not a theme park, and who wants to know more about practical conservation, can go on line to learn more about the biggest picture of all. Go to Tribal Bonefish’s website for more information.

•www.tribalbonefish.com•