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Woodsy Owl helps raise awareness of safe battery disposal

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Woodsy Owl has taught generations of children to "Give a Hoot, Don't Pollute." Now he's focusing on safe battery disposal. (USDA Forest Service photo by Cecilio Ricardo) The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service has partnered with the National Waste & Recycling Foundation for a new public…
#ConservationEducation, #WoodsyOwl, #Safety

Innovating safety: Allegheny National Forest

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Swift action is taken by Allegheny National Forest staff to mitigate the reported hazards at Twin Lakes Recreation Area. (USDA Forest Service photo by Joshua Bridge) As an employer of thousands of field-going personnel, such as wildland firefighters, law enforcement officers, and forestry technicians, the…
#Technology, #Communications, #Safety

Meet Smokey Bear in Washington, DC!

Image shows a Forest Service employee pointing to something for a visitor while animatronic Smokey Bear looks on.
Smokey Bear stands outside the USDA Forest Service entrance. Come in to visit our Information Center and meet Smokey! (USDA Forest Service photo by Alex Demas) Imagine you’re a tourist visiting Washington, DC. As you walk along the south side of the Mall towards the Washington Monument, out…
#SmokeyBear, #History, #WildfirePrevention, #Safety

Shawnee National Forest Bee Sting learning review 

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On Aug. 20, 2024, Shawnee National Forest employee Austin Davidson died after being stung by bees. Working in a lowland management area, Davidson and a coworker were clearing brush using weed trimmers. Davidson came upon a concealed ground nest, the bees were disturbed, and an attack response was provoked. The…
#OutdoorSafety, #Safety

Woodsy Owl’s Fourth of July tips

Image shows Woodsy Owl giving children a high five while adults look on.
It’s me, Woodsy Owl! I hope you’ll come celebrate the 4th of July on a national forest or grassland with us, so I’ve got some tips to help make your trip a blast. (USDA Forest Service photo by Tanya Flores) It’s almost the Fourth of July! The Nation’s 249th Birthday! I’m as excited as you are…
#FourthOfJuly, #SmokeyBear, #Safety, #OutdoorSafety, #WoodsyOwl, #WildfirePrevention, #FirePrevention, #Recreation

Prescribed fire boosts community safety & forest health

Image shows a wildland firefighter in safety gear and helmet dripping fire onto vegetation to continue a prescribed fire.
USDA Forest Service’s Michael Moranda uses a drip torch to light an underbrush fire during a prescribed fire operation in the Weaverville Community Forest. (USDA Forest Service photo by Bob Doucette)  On the lower slopes of Jackass Ridge, smoke wafted through an oak woodland canopy, its…
#PrescribedFire, #Fire, #Wildfire, #ControlledBurn, #Safety, #Firefighters, #WildlandFire