Smokey Bear’s 80th birthday celebration set
For 80 years, Smokey Bear has been protecting the nation’s forests and teaching about wildfire prevention.
The U.S. Forest Service and the Shawnee National Forest invite everyone to join them in celebrating Smokey Bear’s 80th birthday from 10 a.m. to noon Aug. 10 at the Lincoln Memorial Picnic Grounds in Jonesboro.
The celebration will feature a variety of activities about fire safety and wildfire prevention, as well as a chance to meet Smokey Bear.
Those who attend the celebration will be able to learn about Smokey Bear during Smokey Bear’s Storytime, discover how to build different types of campfires and play games to learn about fire safety. All ages are welcome to participate.
Continuing the birthday celebrations, the Shawnee National Forest is planning to host Rudolph (Rudy) Wendelin’s historical Smokey Bear paintings.
The paintings are scheduled to be on display Sept. 3-13 at the Shawnee National Forest’s headquarters in Harrisburg.
On loan from the USDA National Agricultural Library, the replica paintings were completed from 1977 through 1995 and remain the most famous depictions of Smokey Bear.
The art collection and other commemorative memorabilia are scheduled to be on display at the forest headquarters office in Harrisburg weekdays Sept. 3-6 and Sept. 9-13, with hours from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. each day.
Organized groups are asked to call ahead to schedule their visit by contacting visitor services assistant Vincent Gonzalez at 800-699-6637.