Olivia Branchaud, a college student in Rome, was in the midst of writing an essay when she received a notification from the social app BeReal. The alert prompted her to capture a dual-camera photo of herself and share it with friends—an opportunity she used to express her homesickness from Anchorage by featuring images of the bears she was watching live during Fat Bear Week.
Fat Bear Week is an annual event drawing the attention of over a million global viewers each fall as they celebrate the bears of Alaska gaining weight in preparation for hibernation. Twelve bears compete in this playful contest, and the public determines the “fattest” bear through voting. Although Branchaud enjoys observing the bears, she refrains from voting, as she feels it would be unfair to choose a favorite. Instead, she finds solace in the fact that it unifies and brings pride to her home state of Alaska.
Robin Keegan, a reading specialist at an elementary school in Richmond, Virginia, has integrated Fat Bear Week into her educational activities for the past five years. Students participate in various engaging activities such as measuring themselves against life-size bear cutouts and playing cornhole with stuffed salmon. The competition becomes a learning experience for students as they compare their local black bears to Katmai’s enormous brown bears, fostering a wider understanding of their natural world.
Keegan’s enthusiasm has led to the creation of a Facebook group, “Fat Bear Week for Educators,” where over 900 teachers share creative resources and activities. Her dedication to this annual event has also led her to apply for a grant to visit Katmai National Park, a trip she dreams of making one day.
In northwestern Arkansas, church worker Geoff Hartley is another devoted fan of Fat Bear Week. Originally discovering it through social media, Hartley’s interest quickly grew, and he now shares his excitement with his congregation, organizing a bear-themed competition each year. His current favorite in the bracket is a bear named Chunk, who Hartley believes has a compelling story after overcoming challenges like a broken jaw.
The community spirit displayed through Fat Bear Week reaches beyond state lines, providing an amusing and educational platform that connects people with nature and each other. The event exemplifies a delightful intersection of wildlife and community, offering a unique opportunity for people to engage with and learn about these magnificent creatures.