A conversation with Fallon Parker, Assistant Guide at Kodiak Brown Bear Center and Lodge
One of the best parts of visiting Kodiak Brown Bear Center is getting to know the staff who will make your trip memorable. Our wonderful guides are at the forefront of the guest experience—from outfitting you with gear and tailoring the daily experience to give you the best chance to have an up close and personal experience with the Kodiak brown bear.
Fallon and her father are both shareholders of Koniag, Inc. (our parent company), a regional native corporation representing the indigenous Sugpiaq people of the Kodiak Archipelago.
Fallon's Background
Born and raised in Bozeman, Montana, Fallon Parker has been an assistant guide with Kodiak Brown Bear Center since 2022, but her experience goes back much farther than that. Fallon first started accompanying her maternal grandfather (an experienced outfitter/guide) into the wilderness of Montana at the age of nine.
Her father was born and raised in Kodiak, Alaska, and both sides of the family share a love of the outdoors. Her paternal grandfather is both a charter and commercial fisherman, and when Fallon came to Alaska she quickly took to the traditional subsistence lifestyle of her ancestral people.
Fallon also adds “I’ve always been very fortunate to be raised around two beautiful states and growing up in the (ranching and then subsistence) lifestyle, I’ve gotten to learn the aspects of what makes both places what they are.”
“You’re in their world, they’re not in yours—and they trust you to just be there and watch and enjoy.”
Q & A With Fallon Parker
In your experience, what sets KBBC apart from other guiding operations?
“The biggest difference with KBBC is there’s no hunting involved with our operations. On top of that, you’re in the middle of nowhere. Nobody can come by or show up on a boat and interrupt what you’re experiencing. You don’t get that in Kodiak (city) or Katmai, you don’t have to deal with that at Karluk Lake.”
You’ve spent countless hours with the bears over the past few years, what have you come to appreciate the most?
“You’re out there building a connection with every single bear and learning every single bear’s personality. You get to watch them throughout the whole season—from when they first emerge from the den all scraggly and rough looking—to these big, beautiful bears after they spend some time feeding.
You get to watch the dynamics of the old bears that have been there forever, and the dynamics of the new bears that you’ve never seen before. You get to watch the COYs (cubs-of-the-year) grow up and experience the world for the first time. You get to be there for all their firsts, and the coolest thing about it—you’re in their world, they’re not in yours. And they trust you to just be there and watch and enjoy.”
A big part of your job is guest interaction, what do you enjoy most about it?
“This is actually my favorite part of the job—I love all of the unique people you get to meet. You get to learn so much about what else is going on the world when you get to know the guests. You get to be best friends with your clients, almost like family. When they leave, you give them a hug and get bummed that they’re leaving, but you’re also excited to meet the next group. You’re out there for the same reason, you get to share that love of nature and love of the bears.”
What’s something you think people should understand about Karluk Lake/KBBC that might not be obvious until they’ve experienced it themselves?
“One of the biggest things that people should understand about Karluk is that it really shows the wildness and ruralness to Alaska. It helps you understand how so much of Alaska isn’t occupied by cities or roads. You get to understand firsthand how the Alutiiq (Sugpiaq) people of Kodiak lived in this wild place for so long. You get to understand how our ancestors got to live off the land and survive in this place, and that there’s so much more to it than what we can see.”
It’s great to have Fallon as part of our team here at Kodiak Brown Bear Center and Lodge
Hospitality Apprentice at Kodiak Brown Bear Center and Lodge
I run social media and assist with customer experience relations at The Kodiak Brown Bear Center and Lodge. An indigenous artist & scholar, I grew up less than 30 miles from Karluk Lake and enjoy sharing my passion for my home island with others.