WISCONSIN—With less than one month until Smokey Bear’s 80th birthday, celebrations are in full force across the country. Residents in Rhinelander, Wisconsin, got a head start on baking for Smokey’s Aug. 9 birthday and reinforced fire safety messages with their homemade treats.

Staff from the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest organized a baking contest and residents submitted their best desserts. Desserts were then judged by students with the USDA Forest Service’s Blackwell Job Corps Civil Conservation Center. Judging criteria included overall originality, creativity, decorating, flavor, texture, use of ingredients, and the ability to capture and depict Smokey Bear’s fire safety message and story.

The baking contest was part of the opening reception of an exhibition featuring Rudolph Wendelin’s endearing Smokey Bear portraits on display at the Pioneer Park Historical Complex in Rhinelander. Students from Blackwell Job Corps Civil Conservation Center and forest employees in the carpentry program hand-crafted wood easels to display the portraits.

Nineteen of Wendelin’s Smokey portraits were in Wisconsin for one week at the Pioneer Park Historical Complex. The portraits were on loan from the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Library in Washington, D.C. The special exhibition called attention to fire safety during one of the busiest recreation weekends of the season in Wisconsin.

“We are pleased and honored to be able to work with the USDA Forest Service in hosting this very special Smokey Bear exhibition,” said Kerry Bloeborn, director and curator of Pioneer Park Historical Complex.

Forest Service artist Rudolph (Rudy) Wendelin created the 19 portraits of Smokey Bear, and more, from 1977 through 1995. Beginning in 1993, Wendelin worked for the Forest Service as an illustrator. He was the mastermind behind Smokey Bear’s signature ranger hat and blue jeans. Thanks to Wendelin’s art, Smokey Bear’s message, “Only YOU can prevent wildfires,” has prevailed through generations.

“These 19 portraits are some of the most beloved depictions of Smokey Bear,” said Public Services Staff Officer Kaleigh Maze. “We are pleased to have been able to work with our partners with the Pioneer Park Historical Complex to share this very special artwork in Wisconsin during this milestone year for Smokey Bear.”

Several partners presented during the opening reception, including Pioneer Park Historical Complex Director and Curator Kerry Bloedorn, Rhinelander Chamber of Commerce CEO Lauren Sackett, Wisconsin Department of Travel Tourism Officer Drew Nussbaum, and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Chief State Forester Heather Berklund.