Another year, another contest to design the bear pins given to visitors to Katmai National Park and Preserve this year.

In the same way that Alaska’s state flag design emerged from a contest held among Alaskan schoolchildren, the National Park Service invites artists of all ages from the southwest Alaska region to submit their designs for this symbol of Brooks Camp bear etiquette. The selected design will appear on thousands of bear pins distributed to Katmai visitors this summer. In addition to the satisfaction of seeing their artwork reaching an audience from around the world, the winner will also receive a pair of pins as an award.

Bear etiquette pins are awarded to every Brooks Camp visitor who completes the mandatory bear safety training (also known as “bear school”) and serve as a visual reminder of their training. A limited-edition colored bear pin is also awarded to visitors who are exemplars of responsible behavior around bears at Brooks Camp. Let your artwork be the enduring symbol of bear school’s graduating class of 2022 by submitting your design before the deadline.

The design competition runs through February 14. Entries can be submitted via email at [email protected]. Complete contest rules are available online.