Since 1944, Smokey Bear has been protecting trees and teaching us that only we can prevent forest fires! A great way to teach young kids to appreciate nature and wildlife.

The cartoon Smokey appeared in 1944 as part of a larger wildfire prevention program, and the story of the real Smokey Bear began in 1950 in New Mexico’s Capitan Mountains. Smokey was just a cub when he was rescued by soldiers who had been sent in to help fight the forest fire burning in the mountains. The story of the little cub spread far and wide, resulting in stays with several state and federal agencies. He was finally turned over to the Forest Service with the understanding that Smokey would be used for publicizing forest fire prevention.

You can find Smokey videos on the National Archives' YouTube Channel, and find records related to Smokey in the National Archives' Catalog.