The federal government has a long history of helping to educate children about the environment through cartoon characters, some of which have been updated for a new era of climate education.

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Smokey Bear first appeared in 1944 reminding us ā€œonly you can prevent forest fires,ā€ but as government policy evolved to include controlled burns that prevent larger, unplanned fires, Smokey’s message got a subtle tweak in 2001. ā€œOnly you can prevent wildfiresā€ suggests that planned fires are OK.

Here’s Smokey in 1952:

In honor of Smokey’s 75th Anniversary, state forest services are taking part in the Smokey Bear Challenge. Here’s the contribution from the Georgia Forestry Commission:

Woodsy Owl told kids to ā€œGive a Hoot! Don’t Pollute!ā€ in 1971, but by 1997, he was encouraging healthy relationships with nature with a new motto. ā€œLend a hand, care for the land!ā€ encourages kids to renew, reuse and recycle.

And here’s a look at the new Woodsy in 1997:

Energy Ant surfaced in 1975 when the Federal Energy Administration (which later became part of the U.S. Department of Energy) needed to give conservation a push during the energy crisis. The blue ant still helps kids use energy wisely, appearing on the department’s Energy Kids page.

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