Each autumn, as Alaskan salmon runs crest and the bears of Katmai National Park enter their ancient rhythm of preparation, the public is invited to bear witness — quite literally. Fat Bear Week, the bracket-style voting tradition held at Katmai in southwestern Alaska, opens again this Tuesday, offering thousands of wildlife enthusiasts a chance to participate in one of nature's most elemental stories: the gathering of life before the long silence of winter. It is a small ceremony, but it speaks to something enduring in the human desire to watch, care, and belong to the natural world.