 Landscapes are nature's journals. Mountains, rivers, and shorelines tell stories of ancient earthquakes, ice ages, and the constant influence of the ocean. Here off the southwest coast of Alaska, nature's forces created a remote gathering of islands, a land of plenty. This is Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge, home of the great Kodiak Bear. Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge is surrounded by the North Pacific. It spans four islands, parts of the main island and a fog neck, and all of organic and ban islands. This is a wild and dramatic place. The island's jagged coastline is battered by storms and winds born at sea. Inland, the refuge harbors a wide range of habitats, from coastal estuaries to alpine meadows to glaciers and rugged mountain peaks. No place is more than 15 miles from the ocean. The name Kodiak has its origins in the native Aleutic language as a word for island. It is home to six villages, the second largest fishing fleet in the United States, and the largest coast guard base in the nation. It's sprang on Kodiak, and the island is about to become the land of plenty. The bears have emerged from winter dens, and Kodiak's shoreline is their first stop. Here they feed on tender sedges, beach grasses, and sometimes a special treat of carrion from the ocean. The short spring gives way to summer, and the living gets even easier. Millions of salmon converge on Kodiak. At nature's urging, they swim upstream to spawn, and the bears are ready. Some females have new cubs, born the past winter. Others have one or two-year-olds with them. Solitary by nature, the bears enjoy a wary truce during the salmon runs. There's plenty for all. Nourished by their protein-rich diet, Kodiak's brown bears are considered by many to be the largest brown bears in the world. Males can weigh 1,400 pounds and stand 10 feet tall on their hind legs. By comparison, brown bears in interior Alaska, often called grizzly bears, peak at half that weight and stand only six or seven feet tall. Kodiak's bears have been isolated by the Pacific for some 12,000 years and are genetically distinct from their brown bear cousins on the mainland. More than 3,000 bears live on the 1.9 million-acre refuge, one of the highest densities of brown bears in North America. The Kodiak bear is a product of a finely-tuned ecosystem, which is fueled by salmon and the marine resources upon which they feed. All five species of Pacific salmon return to Kodiak to spawn and die. From June through December, the streams and lakes of the refuge fill with Chinook, Sakai, Pink, Chum and Coho. The feast attracts more than bears. Otters share the work of catching the fish, while eagles and scavengers enjoy the leftovers. The salmon bring ocean nutrients inland, enriching the Kodiak ecosystem. All of Kodiak is nourished and sustained by the sea around it. Birds also abound on and around Kodiak. This includes more than 600 nesting pairs of bald eagles. In winter, while Kodiak's giant bears are sleeping in their dens, Kodiak's ice-free shoreline and abundant sea life support more than one and a half million seabirds. The refuge also provides critical winter habitat for rare emperor geese and stellar ziders. Kodiak's ecosystem supports abundant and diverse life, but it is also fragile. In 1989, these shores were devastated by the Exxon Valdez oil spill. It was the largest human-caused environmental tragedy ever to hit North America. Subsistence hunting and fishing are a part of daily life here on Kodiak. Even though the Kodiak archipelago may seem remote today, this ecosystem has been a hub of human activity for more than 8,000 years. The elutic people have been stewards of this great land and have hunted Kodiak's bears and other animals for many generations. And while hunting tools have changed in modern times, elutic knowledge and reverence remains the same. The elutic people share their heritage and culture at the Elutic Museum near the Refuge Visitor Center. Over the centuries, as new cultural groups settled on Kodiak, attitudes toward the bears changed. Fur traders from Siberia established the first permanent Russian settlement in Alaska on Kodiak Island in 1784. Within 20 years, Kodiak was a major port of call in the North Pacific fur trade. The island's Russian history can still be seen in the city of Kodiak. In 1867, Alaska was purchased by the United States and American settlers arrived on Kodiak soon after. By the 1920s, the bear population had dropped drastically because of uncontrolled killing by livestock owners, trophy hunters, and fur traders. But conservationists and ethical hunters were paying attention and rallied support for the Kodiak bear. As World War II loomed in 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt created Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge to provide habitat for brown bear, salmon, and other species. Kodiak Refuge is part of the National Wildlife Refuge System. There are now more than 545 refuges totaling nearly 96 million acres nationwide. Alaska is home to 16 refuges, including Kodiak. The National Wildlife Refuge System is the only network of federal lands dedicated specifically to wildlife conservation. National Wildlife Refuges are also places for people to experience nature. Kodiak is remote and can be accessed only by airplane or boat, but its allure is irresistible. Wild and roadless, the refuge promises adventure, whether you come to view bears, hunt, fish, or relax overnight in one of the refuge's public use cabins. Bear hunting is allowed, but strictly regulated by a keen understanding of conservation and population dynamics. Black-tailed deer, mountain goats, and elk, all introduced species are also hunted on the refuge. Managing refuge lands and resources can be as dynamic as the landscape. Staff assess the health of the ecosystem by monitoring fish and wildlife populations, habitat conditions, and public use. Although it seems isolated and wild, Kodiak is not immune to global challenges. It is situated along a busy trade route, and visitors, not all of them people, come from around the world. In Vasey species, such as orange hawkweed, came innocently. It was introduced as a garden plant, but aggressively spread into the refuge's meadows, killing off native grasses. Quirling disease, New Zealand mud snails, and green crabs are other species threatening the Kodiak ecosystem. Visitors can keep these invaders at bay by thoroughly cleaning boots, recreation, and fishing gear before entering the refuge. Undoubtedly, Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge will face other challenges in the years ahead. Refuge managers are optimistic that evolving strategies to preserve Kodiak's natural diversity and abundance will provide conservation solutions for the future. Nature's Journal is written in Kodiak's wild landscapes. It tells the story of early conservationists who rallied to save this wild and bountiful land. It tells the story of a national wildlife refuge founded in a time of war to preserve a sanctuary full of mystery and grandeur. It tells the story of people working today to keep our wildlife heritage healthy and vibrant. And it will continue to tell the story of the great Kodiak Bear, here on Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge.