DOVER, Del. (January 3, 2024) – From January 1 through November 28, 2024, the United States Forest Service and state library systems across the country are celebrating Smokey’s 80th birthday by participating in the Smokey Bear Reading Challenge. The challenge is geared towards children ages 4 through 10, but all ages are welcome to join. The Smokey Bear Reading Challenge aims to engage youth in reading about wildfire prevention, forests, and natural resource careers while they explore their local environment. The challenge is designed to complement the 2024 National Summer Library Reading Program theme of “Adventure Begins at Your Library!” which will run from June through August.

“Delaware Libraries are excited to partner with the Delaware Forest Service and Smokey Bear to bring adventure and nature education to Delaware library users in 2024. Smokey Bear’s Reading Challenge means that Delaware’s children of all ages can learn about wildfire prevention, connect with nature, and have adventures at their library!” said Dr. Annie Norman, State Librarian.

The Delaware Forest Service (DFS) is partnering with all 33 Delaware libraries to encourage children to take up the challenge. Each library will receive a package of forestry-themed books to add to their lending library, Smokey Bear signage, and prizes for those completing the challenge, to better help children and families connect with this iconic forest legend.

The Delaware Forest Service is coordinating a statewide Smokey Bear Library Tour in 2024 to promote the Reading Challenge and deliver programming on wildfire prevention and nature education to Delaware communities. During the tour, Smokey will be visiting local Delaware libraries. Ashley Melvin, the lead trainer/educator for the Delaware Forest Service, will provide educational opportunities for children using their traveling nature center. In addition, Smokey Bear will appear at community events throughout 2024, including the Delaware State Fair and holiday parades.

“We encourage families to spend time outdoors, and Delaware’s State Forests present ample opportunities to make meaningful connections with nature. Wherever your adventure takes you, Smokey’s timeless message reminds us that we all share the responsibility of keeping Delaware’s outdoor spaces safe from wildfire. Wildfire prevention and nature education are local initiatives, and a partnership with Delaware Libraries will continue to benefit Delawareans long after the Reading Challenge ends,” remarked Delaware State Forester Kyle Hoyd.

With the help of the Smokey Bear Reading Challenge, participants will have the opportunity to learn about topics, including:

• Smokey Bear history
• Campfire safety
• Nature exploration
• Careers in forestry and natural resources
• Wildfire science

“Smokey Bear is a national icon, and the Delaware Forest Service is excited to help communities celebrate his 80th birthday. The timing is perfect as a statewide initiative exists to connect Delawareans to nature to increase environmental literacy,” said Ashley Melvin, DFS Trainer/Educator. “A big component of becoming environmentally literate is adopting environmentally responsible behaviors. Since 1944, Smokey Bear’s campaign has actively engaged the public to help prevent wildfires. I anticipate 2024 to be a very busy year for Smokey Bear!”

Families interested in participating in the Smokey Bear Reading Challenge should visit their Delaware public library or sign-up online delawarelibraries.org/beanstack. Visit Delawarelibraries.org/list-of-libraries for a Delaware Libraries locations & hours. Visit the Delaware Forest Service’s Facebook page periodically for highlights and tips for earning badges. For information on requesting a Smokey Bear appearance, contact Ashley Melvin at ashley.melvin@delaware.gov. To learn more about the Communities in Nature Initiative, visit daeeonline.org.

DOVER – Ashley Melvin, the Delaware Forest Service’s education specialist who directs its successful Smokey Bear fire prevention program, received a Gold Smokey Award at an annual meeting of state foresters in Ohio recently. The award was presented to the Mid-Atlantic Fire Compact‘s education committee, of which Delaware is a member. The compact is comprised of seven states including Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia.

In the world of wildfire prevention, there is no greater honor than to receive a Smokey Bear award, especially the national Gold Smokey Award. These special awards are reserved for people or organizations that provide sustained, outstanding service, with significant program impact, in the wildfire prevention arena. Honorees demonstrate innovation, creativity, commitment and passion for wildfire prevention.

The Mid-Atlantic Fire Compact’s education committee meets once or twice a year to create prototypes that help with forest fire prevention education. The group has created bandannas, large Smokey Prevention Plinko Games for events, large puzzles for children to use at events, compiled a three-DVD set of old Smokey Bear videos, songs and artwork and large fire danger signs with Smokey Bear. The group also coordinated an international multi-compact workshop in Mystic, Conn.

Next year, Smokey Bear celebrates his 75th Birthday. To honor the occasion, the compact created a special 16-page supplement for the Highlights children’s magazine that will appear in early 2019. The issue will be delivered to subscribers in all seven states, with an additional printing of 168,000 copes for standalone use. Veteran educator Fred Turck of Virginia, the only person to earn the coveted Gold Smokey twice for his outstanding work in fire prevention education, noted that each item takes about a year to move from concept to production.

Under the guidance of Melvin, the award-winning trainer-educator who received a Bronze Smokey in 2009, Smokey Bear has become one of the Delaware Forest Service’s most successful educational programs. In the past several years, the Delaware Forest Service (DFS) has provided an average of 90 Smokey Bear fire education programs per year to about 8,250 students — almost 75% of the first-graders in the entire state. Nationwide fire data indicates that human activity causes the largest number of forest fires. This is why Smokey teaches children at a very early age that they should never play with fire or use matches. During a typical Smokey Bear program, first-graders learn about the many natural benefits that trees provide: oxygen, shade, wood products and wildlife habitat. Then, students learn about how harmful a fire can be to the forest. After discussing how a fire can start, students watch a video about how children playing who discover a box of matches are tempted to start a campfire. When the “real” Smokey finally appears on the scene, the children are asked to pledge to “not play with matches ever again.”

Every student receives a gift bag of complimentary Smokey Bear materials and school supplies. Many of the bags are assembled by senior citizen volunteers from the Modern Maturity Center in Dover’s RSVP Program. Every year, volunteers put together more than 6,000 bags containing Smokey-themed comic books, wrist bands, rulers, pencils, and bookmarks.

Contact: Ashley Peebles, 302-698-4551 or Ashley.Peebles@delaware.gov

Smokey Bear will be back in Delaware schools starting this October, visiting first-graders throughout the First State to remind children that “only you can prevent wildfires.” October is a time to highlight fire prevention and safety because the second week is National Fire Prevention Week, observed annually in commemoration of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871.

Under the guidance of award-winning trainer-educator Ashley Peebles, Smokey Bear has become one of the Delaware Forest Service’s most successful educational programs. In the past two years, the Delaware Forest Service (DFS) has provided an average of 90 Smokey Bear fire education programs per year to about 8,250 students — almost 75% of the first-graders in the entire state.

*** SCHEDULE OF SMOKEY BEAR PROGRAMS BY COUNTY AND DATE  (below) ***

Nationwide fire data continue to show that human activity causes the largest number of forest fires, which is why Smokey teaches children at a very early age that they should never play with fire or use matches. During a typical Smokey Bear program, first-graders learn about the many natural benefits that trees provide: oxygen, shade, wood products and wildlife habitat. Then, students learn about how harmful a fire can be to the forest. After discussing how a fire can start, students watch a video about how children playing who discover a box of matches are tempted to start a campfire. When the “real” Smokey finally appears on the scene, the children are asked to pledge to “not play with matches ever again.”

Every student receives a gift bag of complimentary Smokey Bear materials and school supplies. Many of the bags were assembled by senior citizen volunteers from the Modern Maturity Center in Dover’s RSVP Program. This year, volunteers put together more than 6,000 bags containing Smokey-themed comic books, wrist bands, rulers, pencils, and bookmarks.

Created in 1944, the Smokey Bear Wildfire Prevention campaign is the longest-running public service advertising campaign in U.S. history, educating generations of Americans about their role in preventing wildfires. As one of the world’s most recognizable characters, Smokey’s image is protected by U.S. federal law and is administered by the U.S. Forest Service, the National Association of State Foresters and the Ad Council. Despite the campaign’s success over the years, wildfire prevention remains one of the most critical issues affecting our country. Smokey’s message is as relevant and urgent today as it was in 1944.

Smokey’s original catchphrase was “Smokey Says – Care Will Prevent 9 out of 10 Forest Fires.” In 1947, it became “Remember… Only YOU Can Prevent Forest Fires.” In 2001, it was updated to its current version of “Only You Can Prevent Wildfires” in response to an outbreak of wildfires in natural areas other than forests and to clarify that Smokey is trying to prevent unwanted and unplanned outdoor fires versus prescribed fires.

So how exactly did Smokey Bear become associated with wildfire prevention?

The answer begins with World War II. On December 7, 1941, Japanese planes attacked Pearl Harbor. The following spring, Japanese submarines surfaced near the coast of Santa Barbara, California, and fired shells that exploded on an oil field, very close to the Los Padres National Forest. Americans were shocked that the war had come directly to the American mainland. Fear grew that more attacks would bring a disastrous loss of life and destruction of property. There was also a fear that incendiary shells exploding in the forests of the Pacific Coast would ignite numerous raging wildfires.

With experienced firefighters and other able-bodied men deployed in the war, communities had to deal with wildfires as best they could. Protection of forests became a matter of national importance, and a new idea was born. If people could be urged to be more careful, perhaps some of the fires could be prevented. To rally Americans to this cause, and convince them that it would help win the war, the Forest Service organized the Cooperative Forest Fire Prevention (CFFP) program with the help of the War Advertising Council and the Association of State Foresters. Together, they created posters and slogans, including “Forest Fires Aid the Enemy,” and “Our Carelessness, Their Secret Weapon.”

In a stroke of luck for the cause, in 1942, forests and their animal inhabitants were celebrated in Walt Disney’s wildly popular motion picture, “Bambi.” Disney allowed the CFFP program to use the film’s characters on a 1944 poster. The “Bambi” poster was a success and proved the success of using an animal as a fire prevention symbol. However, Disney had only loaned the characters to the campaign for one year. The CFFP would need to find an animal symbol that would belong to them, and nothing seemed more fitting than the majestic, powerful (and also cute) bear.

On August 9, 1944, the creation of Smokey Bear was authorized by the Forest Service, and the first poster was delivered on October 10 by artist Albert Staehle. The poster depicted a bear pouring a bucket of water on a campfire. Smokey Bear soon became popular, and his image began appearing on more posters and cards. By 1952, Smokey Bear began to attract commercial interest. An Act of Congress passed which removed Smokey from the public domain and placed him under the control of the Secretary of Agriculture. The Act provided for the use of collected royalties and fees for continued wildfire prevention education.

Smokey Bear celebrates 70^th year by visiting over 90 First State schools

(Dover) – To honor October as “Fire Prevention Month,” Smokey Bear will visit over 90 Delaware schools to teach children that “only you can prevent wildfires.” Because human activity causes the largest number of forest fires nationwide, Smokey teaches children at a very early age that they should never play with fire or use matches.

During a typical Smokey Bear program sponsored by the Delaware Forest Service (DFS), first-graders learn about how trees provide natural benefits such as oxygen, shade, wood products and wildlife habitat. Then, students learn about how harmful a fire can be to the forest. After discussing how a fire can get started, students watch a brief video about how children playing in the woods discover a box of matches that tempts them to start a campfire. When the “real” Smokey finally appears on the scene, the children are asked to make a solemn pledge to him that they “will not play with matches ever again.” Ashley Peebles, trainer-educator for the Delaware Forest Service, oversees the annual Smokey Bear program. Last year, the DFS presented 78 fire prevention programs to almost 8,000 children.

2014 marks the 70^th Anniversary of Smokey Bear’s introduction as part of a public service effort to prevent forest fires during World War II.  Since he was created in 1944, the Smokey Bear campaign has evolved into the longest running public service campaign in history. Smokey’s first forest fire prevention message remained unchanged for 50 years until April 2001, when the Ad Council updated his message to address the increasing number of fires in the nation’s wildland areas. As one of the world’s most recognizable fictional characters, Smokey’s image is protected by U.S. Federal Law and administered by the U.S. Forest Service, the National Association of State Foresters and the Ad Council. Surveys have shown that “Smokey Bear” (not “Smokey the Bear”) is recognized by over 95 percent of respondents.

2014 Schedule of Smokey Bear Fire Prevention Programs (subject to change)
Delaware Forest Service contact: Ashley Peebles, 302-698-4551 or Ashley.Peebles@delaware.gov

Social Media: Smokey 70^th Birthday video on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfaf0XseVB0

An estimated 535 kindergarten students at McIlvaine Early Childhood Center in Magnolia got a first-hand lesson in fire safety and prevention from the iconic Smokey Bear, with each child asked to pledge “never to play with matches” and parting with a gift bag of Smokey Bear school supplies. McIlvaine, located in the Caesar Rodney School District and representing the largest kindergarten program in the First State, was an ideal audience for Smokey’s timeless message that “Only you can prevent wildfires.”

The annual wildfire prevention program, sponsored by the Delaware Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service and coordinated by Trainer-Educator Ashley Peebles, is timed to coincide with the observance of National Fire Prevention Month in October. The interactive school-based program, which reaches approximately 9,000 students each year, discusses the many benefits of trees (oxygen, food, shelter, shade and heat, wildlife habitat, and wood products) and then explains why it’s so important to protect them from fire. After a short video about the dangers of wildfire, students get the chance to meet Smokey Bear in person and are asked to take the “Smokey Pledge” to never play with matches and to always be careful with fire. As a commemorative gift, each student receives a gift bag of Smokey Bear school supplies.
While the program is targeted squarely at the youngest students in Delaware’s schools, most of the gift bags are prepared through the generosity and selfless efforts of senior citizen volunteers from Dover and Wilmington. As they have done for many years, seniors from Dover’s Modern Maturity Center prepared 2,000 gift bags for the Smokey Bear program, and, also this year, volunteers from Park View Apartments in Wilmington also prepared 2,000 bags.

For more information, contact Ashley Peebles at 302-698-4551 or ashley.peebles@delaware.gov.