Anan Creek, one of Southeast Alaska’s most renowned rivers for pink salmon, is set to enhance its appeal beyond bears, wildlife photographers, and tourists.
This summer, the Anan Wildlife Observatory will welcome a new breed of visitor: citizen scientists from around the globe.
With support from the U.S. Forest Service, multimedia experts, and local Wrangell High School students, the observatory will be equipped with a state-of-the-art array of web cameras.
Four cameras will be mounted on land to capture the antics of bears, while an underwater camera will monitor salmon behavior.
This new initiative aims to provide a real-time window into the vibrant wildlife activity at Anan Creek, allowing anyone with internet access to watch the natural drama unfold, including bears feasting, playing, fighting, and spawning.
Jennifer Kardiak, a seasonal Forest Service employee managing the site, expressed excitement over the potential insights this project can provide.
Informal observations made by viewers may yield valuable information regarding bear populations, behaviors, and the dynamics of other species frequenting the observatory, such as otters, seals, and eagles.
Kardiak stated, “We know there’re wolves out there. We’re kind of hoping for other wildlife sightings as well.”
The increase in eyeballs monitoring Anan Creek may empower wildlife managers with better-informed decisions regarding animal populations, waterways, and forest lands.
For the initial stages, viewers will be encouraged to submit screenshots of notable events.
However, Kardiak envisions a future where citizen scientists can actively contribute data, enhancing existing knowledge about the ecosystem.
Last year marked the introduction of a live video feed on explore.org, attracting over 170,000 views during peak season from early July to late August.
This initiative stems from a $200,000, four-year grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees the Forest Service.
This summer, a group of Wrangell High School students, part of the T3 Alaska program, will undertake the installation of the new cameras during two scheduled four-day trips beginning June 1.
Kardiak anticipates the live feed will be operational by mid- to late June, allowing returning viewers to identify familiar bears from the previous year and observe newcomers as summer progresses.
Looking ahead, innovations like artificial intelligence (AI) may enhance the wildlife observation capabilities at Anan.
Similar efforts are already in place at Katmai National Park and Preserve, roughly 290 miles southwest of Anchorage, where the BearID Project employs AI for identifying individual bears using facial recognition technology.
The purpose of this technology is to gain deeper insights into bear populations, feeding patterns, and social dynamics.
Anan may also employ an AI tool called Fishial to gather data on fish and marine mammal populations within the creek and lagoon complex.
In the context of climate change affecting environmental factors such as ocean temperatures and water levels, AI could significantly improve how scientists monitor and respond to shifts in Alaska’s ecosystems.
Kardiak noted, “It’s good for us to get a baseline to see if there are changes” concerning fish populations that might affect bear numbers at Anan.
Anan Creek stands as a notable example of successful wildlife management in Alaska, with strict regulations imposed by the Forest Service limiting daily visitor numbers to a maximum of 60 permits during the peak season from July 5 to August 25.
Brenda Schwartz-Yaeger, an artist and commercial tour boat operator, relies significantly on her tours to Anan.
Located on the mainland, Anan is accessible by an hour-long boat ride from Wrangell or a 45-minute floatplane ride from either Ketchikan or Wrangell, followed by a half-mile hike through old-growth rainforest to reach the viewer platforms.
Previously, Schwartz-Yaeger has advocated for the installation of webcams in the area due to its remoteness and challenging conditions.
She remarked, “It’s kind of in the middle of nowhere. It’s a challenging environment.”
The webcams will simulate a close-up, interactive experience for individuals who may never have the opportunity to visit Anan in person.
Schwartz-Yaeger described Anan as a location conjured by nature’s artistry, emphasizing its unique features.
She suggested that replicating such a setting would be unattainable, even for experts in wildlife habitat and landscape architecture.
Unlike many wildlife areas, Anan boasts both brown and black bears, and the natural geography provides each bear with individual fishing spots, ensuring space among them.
The enhanced camera setup this year is expected to yield a more comprehensive viewing experience, with opportunities for online participants to volunteer as remote camera operators through an application process on explore.org.
Successful applicants will gain access to manipulate the cameras and follow specific bears or zoom in on intriguing events.
This new dimension of crowd-sourced wildlife observation promises to provide the Forest Service and its partners with invaluable data for future wildlife management efforts.
With uncertainties surrounding the federal workforce’s future, Kardiak is hopeful that the citizen science initiative at Anan will continue to evolve and grow in the coming years.
image source from：https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/wildlife/2025/06/06/more-cameras-will-provide-expanded-online-viewing-of-anan-bears-in-southeast-alaska/
