Smokey Bear Day is fun for kids but also educational.

Smokey’s signature phrase, “Only you can prevent wildfires,” has urgent meaning. Nearly nine out of 10 wildfires nationwide are caused by people.

The Pine Bush Preserve, however, has carefully controlled prescribed fires, which both encourage native species and also prevent wildfires.

The Albany Pine Bush Preserve will host its annual free Smokey Bear Day on Saturday, Oct. 5, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Discovery Center at 195 New Karner Road.

Visitors will learn how the preserve uses prescribed fire to keep the unique habitat, listed as a National Natural Landmark, healthy for the unusual species of plants and animals that thrive there.

Since 1944, Smokey Bear has protected America’s forests from unwanted, human-caused fire. Smokey’s is the longest-running public-service campaign in the nation’s history.

In 1950, a real-life bear cub, orphaned by a forest fire in New Mexico, became a living symbol of Smokey. A New Mexico Department of Game and Fish ranger put the burned cub on a plane to Santa Fe, where his burns were treated and bandaged.

“Soon, the United Press and Associated Press broadcast his story nationwide, and many people wrote and called, asking about the cub’s recovery,” according to SmokeyBear.com. “The state game warden wrote to the chief of the Forest Service, offering to present the cub to the agency as long as the cub would be dedicated to a conservation and wildfire prevention publicity program.

“The cub was soon on his way to the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., becoming the living symbol of Smokey Bear. Smokey received numerous gifts of honey and so many letters he had to have his own ZIP code.

“He remained at the zoo until his death in 1976, when he was returned to his home to be buried at the Smokey Bear Historical Park in Capitan, New Mexico, where he continues to be a wildfire prevention legend.”

“We invite the community to come out and meet Smokey Bear with this free annual event,” said Christopher Hawver, the Albany Pine Bush Preserve Commission’s executive director, in a release from the preserve. “Smokey Bear Day provides a family-friendly opportunity to learn why fire is an important natural component to this globally-rare ecosystem.”

Ecosystems that are dependent on fire to thin the forest canopy and cultivate the forest floor are slowly transformed without enough natural fire, the release explains. Sunlight-dependent native plant species are overtaken by those that like shade, and the whole ecosystem becomes less diverse, more dense from undergrowth, and littered with dead plant material.

Fire managers can reintroduce fire into fire-dependent ecosystems with prescribed fire. Under specific, controlled conditions, the beneficial effects of natural fire can be recreated, fuel buildup can be reduced,preventing the catastrophic losses of uncontrolled, unwanted wildfire.  

“There will be interactive exhibits on prescribed fire, refreshments and Smokey goody bags for visitors to take home,” said Erin Kinal, director of educational programs, in the release. “Visitors will have multiple opportunities throughout the event to meet Smokey Bear.”