Meet Public History Bison

The National Park Trust introduced Buddy Bison to get kids excited about going to National Parks and to raise money for their Kids to Parks scholarship program. For $9.99 anyone can get their own Buddy, perfectly sized for travel. His attached carabiner makes it easy to clip him to a belt or bag and features the URL www.BuddyBison.org. Buddy's website contains resources for parents and teachers as well as a map where anyone can add to Buddy's adventures. Unfortunately, I don't think much time is spent on its maintenance - my picture of Buddy has not been added. The interface is rather cumbersome and could be easily upgraded by using a Google Map. Still, I'm a fan of anything that gets kids involved with National Parks or any aspect of public history. I saw Buddy in the gift shop at Andersonville National Historic Site and couldn't resist joining the fun. Since then, Public History Bison has accompanied me to two conferences and I hope to include our travels with the larger Buddy Bison experience.

Public History Bison connects to the memory of US POWs at Andersonville National
Historic Site by drinking from Providence Spring after the walk from the Visitor Center.

Public History Bison investigates my reproduction historical footwear before our panel on costuming for living history at Bridging Ages 2013. (From left to right: Low-Top Moccasin by Medieval Moccasins, Pemberley Regency Leather Slippers by American Duchess, Astoria Edwardian Leather Shoes by American Duchess, 1930s Black Oxford by Aris Allen, original 1940s)

"Are you eating my family?!?!?!" I assure Public History Bison that my burger is elk, not bison at Mill Street Brewery in Ottawa during NCPH 2013.

Nobody checked his ID at D'Arcy McGee's Irish Pub.

Public History Bison chooses poorly at the Canadian War Museum.

Bison not to scale.

So that's what happened to my Timbits!