An annual online fundraiser originally launched during Fat Bear Week 2020, the Otis Fund helps Katmai Conservancy continue to provide support to Katmai National Park and Preserve. Katmai, with its 4 million acres, is the fourth largest park in the National Park system, and yet it's one of the least funded. With its amazing array of flora and fauna, coastal and river ecosystems, and majestic mountains and volcanoes, Katmai is a true national treasure deserving of protection. Katmai is perhaps most famous for the amazing annual gathering of brown bears. One of the oldest and most famous bears frequenting Katmai’s Brooks Falls is Otis, an expert fisher known for his patience and longevity.
Donations raised through the Otis Fund allow Katmai Conservancy to support education and interpretation, both within and outside of Katmai National Park and Preserve. The Otis Fund also provides funding for important research on Katmai's brown bears and extensive human history. Other initiatives include promoting youth engagement in the local and online communities, ensuring the environmental sustainability of the fragile ecosystems of Katmai, and the necessary improvement of Park infrastructure.
Each of these projects seeks to improve the quality of the visitor experience as well as preserve the dynamic, unique landscape that includes Katmai and its surrounding communities. With your help, we can and will continue to make a difference. Thank you for your support!
2023 Otis Fund Update: Thanks to your incredible support, the 2023 Fat Bear Week Otis Fund drive set a new record at over $312,000 raised! Congrats on all your hard work! But there’s even more good news to share – explore.org‘s founder Charlie Annenberg, floored by your contributions, has matched $300k in donations to the Otis Fund as promised. He has also pledged an additional $100k in memory of Cam Op Kat. Kat was a beloved member of the explore.org family who provided years of beautiful bear cam views from Katmai National Park. Her absence this year was felt, but her heart and soul lives on within each of us who were lucky to know her.
Stay tuned for 2024 Otis Fund updates as they become available!
