Happy 80th Birthday, Smokey Bear!

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Smokey Bear has done a lot in the name of wildfire prevention over the past 80 years – some well know and some less known.

See below for a list of fun facts surrounding Smokey as we near his milestone 80th birthday on August 9, 2024 - and a fun Kansas City connection too!

• Smokey Bear is at the heart of the longest-running public service campaign in American history.
• In 1952, Congress passed the Smokey Bear Act to preserve his legacy.
• The U.S. Postal Service gave him his own postage stamp in 1984.
• His messages have received more than $1.6 billion of donated media support.
• His historic campaign has been inducted into the Advertising Walk of Fame for being “America’s Favorite Advertising Icon.”
• He’s been to outer space.
• Smokey Bear is the only “person” to have their own zip code, besides the president. You can write Smokey Bear a letter at Smokey Bear Washington, D.C. 20252.
• Smokey is a pop culture icon – he has merchandise and toys, he’s been featured on multiple TV gameshows, his signature phrase “Only you can prevent wildfires” is part of the American lexicon, his style has inspired the likes of Pharrell, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
• Smokey’s wildfire prevention campaign was one of the first from federal organizations to run Instagram ads – this was for his 70th birthday in 2014
• Before Smokey, Bambi was the face of this wildfire prevention campaign for one year
• Smokey is more than a fictional icon – in 1950, firefighters found an injured black bear cub gripping the charred remains of a tree in the aftermath of the Capitan Gap Fire in New Mexico. State officials nursed the orphaned cub back to health, christened him Smokey, and relocated him to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington, D.C. He lived there until 1976.
• Celebrities have lent their voice to Smokey throughout history. Most recently, Brian Tyree Henry, Sam Elliott, Betty White, Al Roker, Jamie Kennedy, Stephen Colbert. Other icons who’s joined the campaign include Louis Armstrong, Dolly Parton, Vicki Carr, Ray Charles, Ella Fitzgerald, James Mason, Gregory Peck, Norman Rockwell, Rudy Vallee, Leonard Nimoy, John Wayne and more.
• The schools in Hill City, SD represent the first and only district in the US to have the privilege of using Smokey Bear as their mascot. This was granted in 1939 after the community (including many local students) fought back a particularly rough wildfire and were recognized by the US Forest service as one of the best fire crews. The town even has a statue of Smokey!
• It’s Smokey Bear not Smokey the Bear
• Smokey first appeared at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in 1966, a 59-foot balloon soaring high above the crowds of New York City.
• Smokey's favorite foods are forest takeout: ants and other insects, salmon or trout, bark, plants, roots, and berries. And honey, too, of course!
• Throughout history, Smokey has transcended ads and been featured in songs, comic books, board games, apparel and more!
• Learn more at SmokeyBear.com.

Bonus Visit Smokey in Kansas City:

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You can visit Smokey and hear his important message at Burr Oak Woods Nature Center, a free Missouri Conservation Department location in Blue Springs with hands-on exhibits, wonderful nature trails, and free programs year-round.