Woodsy Owl’s Solar Eclipse Tips

For a fun, safe, and environmentally friendly viewing experience on public lands

Yes, yes, not a real owl, but I saw this and thought it was fun. Many of us in the US may remember Woodsy from our childhoods. For you guys somewhere else, Woodsy’s catch phrase is “Give a hoot, don’t pollute!” He is the somewhat less heard from mascot mentor for the US Forest Service, where Smokey Bear, the forest fire prevention mascot bear, is probably a bit more popular.

Since these guys manage to not be annoying or creepy for mascots, I thought I’d put this up here for fun.

Are you looking forward to the eclipse, coming on April 8?

Have you watched a solar eclipse before?

Do you know any other owl mascots?

  • anon6789OP
    4•8 months ago

    From Meet the Amazing Mascots and Messengers of the US Government

    Woodsy Owl’s popularity grew throughout the 1970s and 1980s, but in the 1990s Woodsy became an unwitting participant in a conflict between the logging industry and the northern Spotted Owl, which had recently been added to the endangered species list. The 1990s were also a time when doctors were becoming alarmed at the growing rate of obesity among Americans, and Woodsy’s rotund owl shape made him seem like an unhealthy role model. The anti-littering message also seemed relatively trivial as climate change became a growing cause for concern.

    The old, “classic” Woodsy was replaced by a trimmer, fitter Woodsy who was more appropriately dressed for hiking, and his message was broadened to “Give a Hand—Care for the Land.” The new Woodsy looked less like an owl and more like a human with an owl head.

    Not everyone was impressed with the transformation. The new Woodsy, a man with an owl face and wing-hands, looked like a variation on Vincent Price’s man-insect hybrid in The Fly. Some said his face looked like a chicken nugget.

    The new slogan (Lend a hand – Care for the Land) proved so unmemorable that when a survey was conducted a few years after the updated image, his old slogan was still the most recognized by Americans. The new slogan came dead last, even behind two “decoy” slogans. Eventually Woodsy kept both the original and the new slogan.

    To the horror of fans who had grown up with the classic Woodsy, the old costumes were ordered to be burned:

    In 2020 the band Kitsch Club released a song entitled “Burn Him Down,” inspired by the destruction order.

    Woodsy Owl is a character still used today, primarily in educational materials for young children, produced in partnership with the Head Start program.