First things first. Smokey Bear’s middle name is not “the.”
“The origin of the ‘the’ is somebody made a fun little song about Smokey and, to make the cadence of the song work, they threw in the lyric ‘the.’ So that’s where the ‘the’ got inserted,” said Jessica Prince, facility supervisor at Plum Creek Nature Center in Beecher.
This winter, 19 paintings depicting Smokey Bear — the iconic symbol of the U.S. Forest Service’s wildfire prevention campaign — will be on display at four Will County nature sites.
The artwork was created by Rudolph “Rudy” Andreas Michael Wendelin, an illustrator with the U.S. Forest Service who created hundreds of Smokey representations that highlighted natural resources conservation and forest fire prevention.
Smokey Bear: The Rudy Wendelin Collection exhibit will run from Jan. 17 through March 2. The artworks are reproductions of original Smokey Bear paintings that were created from 1977 to 1995.
The paintings can be seen from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday at Four Rivers Environmental Education Center in Channahon, Isle a la Cache Museum in Romeoville and Plum Creek Nature Center in Beecher; as well as from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Friday and Jan. 18 and March 2 at the Sugar Creek Administration Center in Joliet. There is no admission to view the exhibit.
Prince has spear-headed the project of bringing the exhibit to Will County.
“In the last decade, the Forest Preserve District of Will County committed itself to bringing in outside, temporary exhibits and some of them are very high-profile, from the Smithsonian, from the New York Botanic Gardens,” she said. “We’ve had some really wonderful, high-end exhibits in addition to (ones) featuring local artists.”
They were on the hunt for a new exhibit in 2025 and landed upon the Smokey Bear collection, which is owned and curated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
“They are they the keeper of all things Smokey and Rudy Wendelin’s art,” Prince said.
“This one had a very unique aspect and an opportunity to partner with Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie because they are a national forest site. Obviously, it was a really great fit.”
The Forest Preserve District of Will County and Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie successfully collaborated to bring the reproductions to Will County, she said.
“This particular collection has got a lot of play and interest because Smokey’s 80th birthday was last year,” Prince said. “It’s been on the road celebrating Smokey’s 80th birthday.”
Each site will display the artwork in a different but approachable and accessible way, she said.
“Like one of my sites is Plum Creek Nature Center,” she said. “We have a large multipurpose area for bird viewing. It’s a large programming space. They’ll be in there.”
She thinks people will enjoy the artwork and expects a robust turnout to see the iconic bear.
“It’s going to have a draw because Smokey is a national figure,” she said. “People know who he is. It’s not something that has a learning curve or a niche audience. Everybody knows who he is. He’s beloved.”
He’s known for his human expression, his jeans and his shovel.
Forest preserve naturalists will lead programming to celebrate the exhibit and its message of forestry, responsible recreation and fire building, she said.
“Those are all things the naturalists have embraced and are going to talk about and program to while we have this exhibit up,” Prince said.
Programs include a trivia night, a meet and greet with the two mascots and forest management hikes.
“They’re for all age groups, some inside and some outside. It’s a nice mix,” she said.
The new promotion kicks off with a Smokey Bear and Willy Woodchuck Meet and Greet from noon to 2 p.m. on Jan. 19 at the Plum Creek Nature Center. Smokey Bear and Willy Woodchuck, the mascot of the Forest Preserve District of Will County, will celebrate the exhibit’s opening with photo ops, the Smokey Bear Self-Expression Studio and giveaways. The event is free and for children ages 3-12.
WonderKids: Smokey Bear will be from 10-11:30 a.m. on Feb. 6 at Isle a la Cache Museum. For children ages 2-5, the free program will include songs, story time, Smokey Bear-themed facts and crafts.
Brush up on your knowledge, because Smokey Bear — Trivia Night at the Museum will be from 6-8 p.m. on Feb. 27 at Isle a la Cache Museum. Those 16 and over can tackle Smokey-related trivia solo or as a team. It’s free and light snacks will be provided.
The forest preserve district also has issued a Smokey Bear challenge: if people visit all four sites where the paintings are displayed, they can enter a raffle to win a basket of Smokey Bear swag, Prince said.
She remembers Smokey Bear, as well as the other U.S. Forest Service mascot Woodsy Owl (“Give a hoot! Don’t pollute!”), from her childhood and thinks visitors will appreciate the nostalgia.
“Both of them had a place in all our childhoods,” she said. “(Smokey) has got such recognition because he stayed so consistent all those decades. That’s in large part due to Rudy Wendelin, the artist. He had a consistent look; he had a consistent brand.
“His physical body morphed a little bit over the years, but he was still … recognizable all those years and that (contributed) to the staying power. He’s pretty iconic. People are going to want to come out.”
Annie Alleman is a freelance reporter.
