Katmai National Park has announced the winner of the Brooks Camp bear pin design contest. The victorious design was submitted by Jess Thomas from King Salmon, Alaska. The pins, featuring Thomas’s design, will be distributed to visitors of the park who successfully complete the mandatory Brooks Camp bear safety training.
This training, colloquially known as “bear school,” is designed to educate visitors about bear safety. Each year, thousands of people attend the training and receive a bear pin as a token of their completion. The pin serves as a reminder of the importance of bear safety and the lessons learned during the training.
This year, the park decided to engage the community by hosting a contest for the design of the bear pin. Jess Thomas’s design was selected as the winner, and will be featured on the pins distributed to this year’s trainees. The contest has added a personal touch to the bear safety program, further connecting the park to the community.