#10 Smokey Bear on the National Mall

How apt that 2019 is the 75th birthday of the 1944 Smokey Bear! I celebrated the American icon in a few ways this year.

In May, a new Smokey Bear exhibit opened at the Smithsonian National Zoo. Did you know that there was a real Smokey? He was a black bear cub that was rescued clinging to a tree in a forest fire in New Mexico in 1950. Smokey was then brought to the National Zoo where he received tons of fan mail and was eventually given his own zip code - an honor he shares only with the President!

The real Smokey Bear being treated for burns.

The exhibit is on a trail near Lemur Island - you'll see the statue of Smokey and sign where you enter. It's a short walk with informational panels on Smokey, the wildfire prevention campaign ads, and the work of the U.S. Forest Service (I was wearing my USFS hat for it too!).

Entrance to the Smokey Bear exhibit at the Smithsonian National Zoo.

I also went to my original target site: the U.S. Forest Service office on the National Mall! There is an exhibit at with an animatronic Smokey Bear that is only open during business hours, making this a tricky task for a full time employee. Luckily, my job offers "Summer Fridays" where you can leave the office at 2pm on Fridays between Memorial Day and Labor Day!

Without intending to, I picked the exact Friday of Smokey's 75th birthday to stop by! He was celebrating with a balloon and some free 75th pins and magnets for visitors!

The exhibit opens into Smokey's office, where he comes to life and shares his signature line: "Only you can prevent forest fires!"

Around the corner is an exhibit about the U.S. Forest Service's work, presented in a 1920s log cabin! Founded in 1905, USFS is responsible for 154 national forests and 20 national grasslands, which encompass 193 million acres or almost 10% of the land in the United States.

You can watch informational videos about the USFS inside the cabin.

If you're wandering around the National Mall and want to see something a little different, stop by! The Yates Building is the pretty brick one on 14th and Independence, and you enter the exhibit right at that corner.

You can also check out www.smokeybear.com to see if there are any 75th birthday events happening near you!

Item 10 Completed 8/9/19
17/44 items complete = 38.6%