Bald eagleler Jackie ve Shadow için 10 milyon dolar gerekli

For Jenny Voisard, watching the daily antics of abald eagle familyperched above the shimmering waters of Big Bear Lake in Southern California is about togetherness as much asbirdwatching.

“We’re all together as a community. We mourn together, we laugh together, we cry together. So it’s emotional and deep. It’s hard to explain in words, really,” Voisard tellsPopular Science.

A former corporate marketing consultant from Oregon,Voisardnow works as the media manager forFriends of Big Bear Valley (FOBBV). The non-profit is dedicated to conserving the land around Big Bear Lake in the San Bernardino Mountains. However, the organization is most famous for its eagles. FOBBV livestreams a pair of bald eagles named Jackie and Shadow in their nest to millions of viewers around the world 24/7. After their first egg of 2026 was snatched by Ravens, Jackie laid two more eggs thathatched in Apriland will likely fledge from the nest in July.

Voisard originally joined as a volunteer to help answer questions and learn about eagles. But life and FOBBV had other plans.

“I never could have believed in a million years that this is my life and this is what I’d be doing, even just a few years ago,” says Voisard. “So it’s just a testament to Sandy and her vision and her when she starts something.”

The Sandy who Voisard is referring to is not theeaglet who hatched this spring,but FOBBV’s former executive director Sandy Steers. Sandy died on February 11 after battling cancer. A life-long wildlife activist, she helped launch the cameras in 2015 and was FOBBV’s resident bald eagle expert. She devoted countless hours and energy to educating the public on the animals that call this slice of the San Bernardino National Forest home.

“She was very intuitive on how people learned,” says Voisard. “What she really wanted to do was blend science and storytelling and make it so that it would resonate. She hoped people would understand what they were watching, but then maybe they would pay attention more to the birds in their own backyard. Ultimately, what she thought was that if people cared about what was happening with nature, they’d want to take care of it.”

One of Sandy’s passion projects was protecting the last undeveloped northern shoreline along Big Bear Lake from development. CalledMoon Camp, this stretch of land has been sought after by luxury housing and marina developers for nearly 25 years. The land sits less than one mile away from Jackie and Shadow’s nest, and this part of the lake is home to all of the fish that the eagles and their eaglets rely on for sustenance. It is also home to undisturbed forest that support birds, squirrels, and other animals, as well as the ash-gray indian paintbrush (Castilleja cinerea), a rare and threatened endemic plant only found here.

FOBBV is concerned about further human encroachment on the animal and plant species in the area, particularly the eagles. Bald eagles have made a remarkable comeback due to conservation efforts, butstill face several threatsincluding lead poisoning, collisions with cars, avian influenza, eating fishing line, and habitat loss.

“There used to be 20 to 35 visiting bald eagles that used to come to Big Bear Lake during the winter, and now we’re down to six to 10 at best,” says Voisard. “And bald eagles are increasing everywhere else.”

The land is currently owned by RCK Properties and discussions about its development stretch back to 2002. InSeptember 2025, the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors met to discuss the proposed development of over 50 homes and a 55-slip marina to the unincorporated community of Fawnskin.

At the time of the hearing, RCK Properties’ Steve Foulkestold CBS News Los Angelesthat he believes it is a sound project from an environmental standpoint, that the building will be slow, and the project will provide jobs and income over a longer period of time.

Foulkes tellsPopular Sciencethat, “RCK Properties has no comment on the fundraising effort beyond confirming that we entered into an Option Agreement with the San Bernardino Mountains Land Trust.”

Sandy and theSan Bernardino Mountain Land Trustnegotiated a limited purchase agreement with the developer and are fundraising topurchase the land for its appraised value of $10 million.The fundraiser has already raised over $3 million with more than one month to go.

“Sandy passed away right after the agreement was signed, so we’re doing this in her honor,” says Voisard. “She put all of that on her shoulders because she wanted to save everything.”

If they do not raise enough money by the end of July, Voisard says that the money will go towards a financing option with the land owners. With this option, the land trust would pay a higher interest rate quarterly.

“I hope that they remember her love of life and nature and everyone and her kindness and her just big open heart,” Voisard says.