You probably know Smokey Bear. He is the delightful mascot of the U.S. Forest Service, created in 1944 to remind us to be careful with our precious wildland resources. But even after all these years, wildfire are still a major concern. In fact, according to SmokeyBear.com, in 2015, 58,916 human-caused wildfires burned over 2 million acres. But what this fact doesn’t share is the hardship caused by these careless beings on their fellow humans. The loss of life, homes, livelihoods and more and untold damage to the wildlife.

Visit SmokeyBear.com to read About the Campaign to find out how the attack on Pearl Harbor and Disney’s film, Bambi, became an important part of his history. Also, read The Story of Smokey and find out why we call him Smokey the Bear and how a cub who survived a wildfire in 1952 became a real-life symbol. You’ll also find information on Prevention How-Tos including campfire safety including how to pick your campfire spot, how to prep the fire pit, how to build a fire, and most importantly, how to extinguish your campfire.  Smokey for Kids includes a fun Design Your Own Coloring Page, Story Maker, campfire rules, and Ask Smokey.

Connect with Smokey Bear online via Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, & Instagram

Funding Wildfire Prevention Education – Filson & the U.S. Forest Service Team Up

Filson, a Seattle company renowned for their durable, quality products made here in the USA, has been supporting the U.S. Forest Service for more than 75 years. This year in celebration of Smokey’s 72nd birthday, they’ve created the Smokey Bear collection. To celebrate the new collection of goods bearing his resemblance, Smokey Bear recently visited the Seattle Filson flagship store to share wildfire prevention, safe practices for outdoor fires, and more.

The Filson Smokey Bear Collection

A portion of the sale of these products will benefit wildfire prevention education. The collection runs from $25 to $1,000 and will make great gifts for your favorite outdoor lover! With a state park ranger and a fire department captain in the family, both also trained wildland firefighters,  you can be sure I’ll be picking up a few of these as gifts for them. It’s a great cause and beautiful products from a company that’s known for their quality goods and social consciousness.

Connect with the  U.S. Forest Service

Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube

Connect with Filson

Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Filson Life Blog | Filson Community Events | Filson Factory Tours [/box]

Photo Credits: Filson