A beloved Southern California wildlife activist known for her work with bald eagles — specifically, the iconic Jackie and Shadow perched atop a nest 145 feet high in a Jeffrey pine tree in Big Bear Valley — has died.
The nonprofit Friends of Big Bear Valley (FOBBV) announced the death of Sandy Steers in social media posts on Wednesday night.
“It is with heavy hearts and great sadness to let our Friends of Big Bear Valley eagle family know that Sandy Steers passed away on the evening of 2/11/26,” a post on Instagram read. “We will be providing more information in the future, but please give our team time to grieve and process this sad news.”
The post included two photos of a smiling Steers: one wearing a pink shirt with a bald eagle on it, arms stretched out against an art piece featuring an eagle’s wingspan, and another of her with a microphone.
Steers was part of the leadership team at Friends of Big Bear Valley, the nonprofit that runs the wildly popular Eagle Nest livestreams, which chronicle the habitat and happenings of SoCal’s famous bald eagle couple Jackie and Shadow.
Steers helped launch the cameras in 2015 and became the nonprofit’s go-to expert on bald eagles, promoting conservation and education of the species and its natural habitat in the San Bernardino National Forest.
FOBBV fans mourned Steers’ death on Instagram. She meant a lot to so many.
Sunny the eagle, the offspring of famed Big Bear eagles Jackie and Shadow, bravely took flight for the first time. So, what’s next? Friends of Big Bear Valley Director Sandy Steers shares some insight. This video was broadcast on the NBC4 News at 4:30 p.m. on Monday, June 2, 2025.
“This feels almost like California lost its very own Jane Goodall,” one person posted. “Our deepest condolences to her family and conservation colleagues. She spearheaded a gift of advocacy we can never repay: a glimpse into the love, loyalties, resilience and tenderness of Jackie and Shadow’s lives.”
“What a huge loss for the community,” read another post, in part.
“The wonderful eagle whisperer Sandy,” said another post. “Her heart and love for the precious eagles is an amazing legacy. I am so sorry for the FOBVV team’s loss.”
All eyes have been on FOBBV’s Eagle Nest camera since last month, when Jackie and Shadow appeared to be preparing their nest to lay a new clutch of eggs.
Jackie laid two eggs just days apart in January. Then, on Jan. 30, tragedy struck when ravens breached Jackie and Shadow’s eggs.
FOBVV said there’s still time this season for Jackie to lay a second clutch of eggs, and they are holding out hope the couple can bounce back — if and when the time is right.