Volunteers set up nonprofit to raise money for Anan projects

Andrei Bardin-Siekawitch installs conduit for the livestream cameras at the Anan bear observatory. (Spencer Petticrew / Wrangell Sentinel)

By Larry Persily

Wrangell Sentinel

A new nonprofit wants more people to enjoy learning about the Anan Wildlife Observatory — regardless of whether they visit the site in person or online through video cameras installed to watch the bears feasting on salmon.

Friends of Anan plans to raise money — and awareness — of the outdoor seafood buffet to help the U.S. Forest Service, which manages the site, with maintenance, staff and other expenses, and assist with research into the bears.

Their website, friendsofanan.org, presents news of Anan, links to the livestreams and, of course, a chance to donate.

"Your support ensures that Arrow, Scuba Sue, Gemini and all the bears of Anan Creek have a protected home for generations to come," says the website, which includes a button for one-time or continuing donations.

Hats, mugs, T-shirts and hoodies with the Friends of Anan logo are for sale on the website.

Dee Galla, chair of the organization's board, retired in 2023 after 30 years with the Forest Service, where she supervised the Anan crew.

"We have no idea how much money we will raise," she said of the new website and effort.

The group received its IRS certification as a nonprofit in May, said Brian Reggiani, a member of the board and director of student engagement for the Alaska T3 Alliance, a University of Alaska program that teaches high school students about technology. Wrangell's T3 students finished installing cameras at Anan earlier this month for livestream feeds of the bears.

There are now four cameras - double the number of the first year in 2024 - with plans to add an underwater camera as soon as the team can solve the mounting and other technical challenges for a fully submersed installation, Reggiani said.

The nonprofit wants to connect even more Wrangell students with Anan, hopefully covering the costs of bringing middle school students to the observatory, he said.

Providing paid internships for students to work with the Forest Service also is on the list of possibilities, depending on fundraising, Reggiani said.

The nonprofit will have more flexibility in raising and spending money than the Forest Service, targeting what needs to get done and advocating for the site, said Brenda Schwartz-Yeager, who has been taking people on guided tours of Anan the past 40 years.

"I like the concept of it," she said.

The Anan livestream is maintained by explore.org, also a nonprofit, which produces documentary films in addition to paying the costs and hosting wildlife camera feeds worldwide - including at Alaska's Katmai National Park and Preserve, where brown bears feed on salmon at Brooks Falls and along the Brooks River.

Started in 2011, the Katmai livestream has attracted millions of views over the years.

"We want to be known as one of those bear sites," Galla said of the attention that Katmai draws for its famously fat bruins.

It will take some time and money to build up Anan viewership. Though the cameras themselves are not too expensive - hundreds of dollars each - the Starlink feed to maintain the livestream from Anan costs $2,500 a month, Reggiani said. Explore.org is picking up that bill.

Because the Forest Service limits in-person visits at Anan to 60 people a day on guided tours during peak season, the online livestream is important to build wider interest and support for the Southeast Alaska site, Galla said.

At some point, depending on fundraising, it would be good to have a staffer participating in live chats with viewers, she added.

In addition to Galla and Reggiani, the two other board members are Esther Ashton and Erin Galla.

Reggiani will give a presentation about Anan at this year's Bearfest in Wrangell, scheduled for July 30 through Aug. 3.

• This story originally appeared in the Wrangell Sentinel.