Inside Katmai with Ranger Sarah Bruce: Beyond Brooks Falls and Fat Bear Week

Ranger Sarah Bruce takes us beyond the famous bear-viewing platforms of Brooks Falls and into the wider ecosystem and stories that shape Katmai National Park and Preserve.

In this episode of National Park Stamp Quest, Sarah shares what it is like to work at Brooks Camp, how salmon sustain Katmai’s brown bears and surrounding ecosystem, and what visitors should understand about safely experiencing bear country. She also explores the origins and purpose of Fat Bear Week and why the celebration represents far more than simply choosing the largest bear.

In this conversation:

• Life and work at Brooks Camp

• Katmai’s salmon lifecycle and its connection to the bears

• Bear behavior, safety, and responsible wildlife viewing

• The landscapes and communities beyond Brooks Falls

• How Fat Bear Week began and what it teaches us about conservation

• The stories visitors carry home from Katmai

• Views expressed by guests are their own.