I saw this picture on my FB feed the other day. Yes, I still use FB and Messenger to keep up with some friends.
The picture caption mentioned that Smokey the Bear was retiring with a new mascot replaced him. It didn't take me too long before I found the source of the picture from this news article.
Meet Ember the Fox. She replaced Smokey in British Columbia, Canada. I was glad that good old Smokey goes on in America. So, this seemed like a Canadian attempt to have a unique identity. In all seriousness, it goes deeper than that.
I remember the slogan, "only you can prevent forest fires!". It eventually evolved into "wildfires." With Ember, the focus shifts to fire management. The BC authorities dubbed this new program FireSmart. It made sense because wildfires are part of nature's cycles. I wonder if there were unintended consequences from actively preventing beneficial wildfires to the ecosystem.
FireSmart has high-quality infographics for its audience. The example above is one of many that exist out there. The website also has educational videos with lots of information. I did spend some time there for personal enrichment.
Turn the focus back to Ember. I found it amusing because she looks like something you would see at a Furry convention. This mascot makes me want to start fires instead of being informed about it. She could even pass as a Pokemon. When I looked at the comment section on FB, I wasn't the only one that thought of those things. I guess her design has already made an impression on people.
Regardless, I'm glad the US retains Smokey the Bear. Will there be crossovers in the future? Who knows?
