The Bears of Brooks Falls, Michael Fitz
The Bears of Brooks Falls, Michael Fitz
List: $19.99 | Sale: $13.99
Club: $9.99

The Bears of Brooks Falls
Wildlife and Survival on Alaska's Brooks River

Author: Michael Fitz

Narrator: John Pruden

Unabridged: 9 hr 45 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 03/16/2021


Synopsis

A natural history and celebration of the famous bears and salmon of Brooks River.

On the Alaska Peninsula, where exceptional landscapes are commonplace, a small river attracts attention far beyond its scale. Each year, from summer to early fall, brown bears and salmon gather at Brooks River to create one of North America's greatest wildlife spectacles. As the salmon leap from the cascade, dozens of bears are there to catch them (with as many as forty-three bears sighted in a single day), and thousands of people come to watch in person or on the National Park Service's popular Brooks Falls Bearcam.

The Bears of Brooks Falls tells the story of this region and the bears that made it famous in three parts. The first forms an ecological history of the region, from its dormancy 30,000 years ago to the volcanic events that transformed it into the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes. The central and longest section is a deep dive into the lives of the wildlife along the Brooks River, especially the bears and salmon. Listeners will learn about the bears' winter hibernation, mating season, hunting rituals, migration patterns, and their relationship with Alaska's changing environment. Finally, the book explores the human impact, both positive and negative, on this special region and its wild population.

About Michael Fitz

Michael Fitz, a Fellow with explore.org and a former National Park Service ranger, has distinguished himself as an expert in the natural history and ecology of Brooks River, particularly the river's brown bears. He has been quoted in articles on outside.com, mashable.com, and the New Yorker. His work has been featured in Legacy and Cause. He blogs on fitznaturalist.com, and writes about bears on explore.org. He lives in western Washington.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Rowan's Bookshelf (Carleigh) on February 13, 2023

This is going to be one the nonfiction books I own rather than get from the library because I loved it so much! Very informative and fascinating; the history of the landscape, bear behavior and physiology (which I especially loved) and human interaction with bear populations. I love how he interweav......more

Goodreads review by Sheila (sheilasbookreviewer) on October 15, 2023

I love bears! Anyone who knows me already knows this. I started watching the bears at Brooks Falls on the Bear Cams on Explore.org a few years ago. This is such a fascinating experience. I was so excited to buy my copy of Michael Fitz's book, The Bears of Brooks Falls: Wildlife and Survival on Alask......more

Goodreads review by Brenda on August 28, 2024

I have so much respect for Mike Fitz. I could listen to him talk about bears forever. In this book, he tells the story of Brooks Falls from beginning to the present time and it’s beautiful. He teaches about the salmon, their life journey and the major impact they have in ways I never imagined possib......more

Goodreads review by Lori on May 22, 2023

Everyone has their own idea of the perfect balance between scientific writing and anecdotes, but for me the book got it exactly right. I thoroughly enjoyed the history of the geology, flora, fauna, and human activity of the Brooks Falls area, and the ongoing discussion between human impact and conse......more

Goodreads review by Nisha on December 19, 2021

Very interesting but a slow read on nature conservation, bear habitat in the region, salmon habitat and the politics involved in conservation of a species.......more