By Samuel Littauer, Improvement Officer at World Wildlife Fund
Alaska has at all times carried a sure mythos in my thoughts—its rugged wilderness, untamed landscapes, and wildlife bigger than life itself. For years, I heard tales of its huge magnificence and isolation, as if it have been a final frontier the place nature nonetheless reigns supreme. Nevertheless it wasn’t till I traveled there, to Pure Habitat’s Bear Camp in Lake Clark Nationwide Park, that I really understood the repute Alaska holds. It was right here, surrounded by towering mountains, wild rivers, and the enduring coastal brown bears, that I noticed firsthand why this land captures the creativeness and evokes a deep reverence for the pure world.
© Samuel Littauer / WWF-US
Earlier than Lake Clark Nationwide Park was formally established in 1980, this area was preserved for millennia by the Dena’ina Athabascan individuals, who referred to it as Qishjeh Vena, that means “a spot the place individuals collect.” This time period captures the essence of what this land represents—not solely a sanctuary for bears and different wildlife but additionally a gathering place for individuals who come to expertise the wild great thing about Alaska.
The true magic of Bear Camp lies within the intimacy it fosters with the bears and their surroundings. This isn’t a spot the place you merely observe wildlife from a distance; it’s a place the place you’re feeling a part of the panorama. The sight of a giant male bear digging for clams on the tidal flats, the scent of the saltwater air, and the sound of the wind via the bushes—all of it creates a deep sense of reference to the wilderness round us.
© Samuel Littauer / WWF-US
Our days started with quiet anticipation as we ventured into the meadows and tidal flats to look at the bears as they began their morning feasts. These coastal brown bears can weigh as much as 1,500 kilos earlier than getting into their winter torpor. In the course of the summer time, they feast on clams among the many salt flats and graze on sedge grasses that flood the fields past our lodging. The riparian surroundings offered a real smorgasbord for the bears, whereas additionally setting the stage for observing each conceivable bear conduct.
Bear Camp’s shut proximity to the world of those giants allowed us to really feel personally linked to the storylines that unfolded throughout the fields. Households of bears would roam collectively, sometimes fleeing an aggressive male or, in some instances, welcoming his advances. Rival males competed for mates, giving us a glimpse into the intricacies of bear society.
One afternoon, our group frolicked admiring the bears as they gathered throughout the sedge fields for a leisurely snack. Out of the blue, a sizeable male bear paused his feast to take a dip within the river operating via the center of the fields. We stood nonetheless, holding our breath to higher hear him as he cooled off after an extended day of wrestling matches and indulging within the lush choices of the valley. One other bear quickly approached, looking for the identical cool respite, which led to an intense wrestling match earlier than one claimed the river. It was a scene of caprice and survival, a reminder that life right here, although majestic, can also be fragile.
Whereas observing the bears of Lake Clark, it was not misplaced on me that related neighboring ecosystems have been in jeopardy for many years. The headwaters of Bristol Bay, a number of hours west of Lake Clark, have lengthy been threatened by the potential growth of Pebble Mine. Practically half of the world’s sockeye salmon comes from Bristol Bay, supporting a $2.2 billion fishing business and using 15,000 individuals. World Wildlife Fund partnered with the Bristol Bay Victory Problem, an Indigenous-led fundraising initiative to dam the Pebble Mine for good. In 2022, this initiative established a 44,000-acre conservation easement, defending essential habitat and securing a brighter future for native communities which have lived harmoniously with this panorama for generations.
© Samuel Littauer / WWF-US
As I departed Bear Camp, I carried with me extra than simply reminiscences of brown bears and the huge Alaskan panorama. I left with a renewed sense of accountability to advocate for the safety of those treasured lands and their inhabitants. The bears, the land, and the individuals who have lived in concord with this wilderness for generations remind us that nature’s steadiness is fragile—and it’s as much as us to make sure it endures.
For me, this expertise among the many bears, on the ancestral land of the Dena’ina individuals, underscores the necessity to shield these final strongholds of nature. The conservation of land, to make sure the safety and flourishing of each individuals and wildlife, is crucial to making a harmonious world the place each can thrive. It’s within the Alaskan wilderness, among the many bears, in locations like Lake Clark, that folks arrive in a gathering place and depart enchanted by the wild world to which all of us belong.
© Samuel Littauer / WWF-US
