For years, Jackie and Shadow, two eagles located in Big Bear, California, have given us a front-row seat to the beauty of the wild through the live stream camera in their nest. Now, they need us to step up and protect the only home they’ve ever known.
Their nest sits high up in a big pine tree overlooking the beautiful valley of Fawnskin, a small mountain community in Big Bear. Jackie and Shadow have been living together in Fawnskin since 2018 and have been together for eight years. They have battled together through snow storms, nest intruders, and even the loss of some of their eggs and eaglets. However, recently they have had to face a more frightening prospect: a plan to develop their home and foraging grounds into a luxury housing development that, if built, will drive them away permanently.
In 2001, developers proposed Moon Camp, a luxury development project in Fawnskin without ever conducting any environmental analysis. This project would endanger the bald eagles, the Ash-grey Indian paintbrush, and the San Bernardino flying squirrels. The project includes a fifty lot subdivision and a huge marina less than a mile away from the eagle’s nest. Concerns over the project led to the forming of Friends of Big Bear Valley. In 2020 FOBBV joined the Center for Biological Diversity and the San Bernardino Valley Audubon Society to file a lawsuit against the development project. In 2022, FOBBV won the case; however, the developers made changes to the project and resubmitted the case, starting the whole process over again. In 2025, despite over five thousand emails and a public hearing, the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors approved the development. In response, FOBBV filed another lawsuit.
After months of negotiation, an agreement was reached: $10,000,000 must be raised by July 31, 2026. If this money is raised, the land will be purchased and added to the United States Forest Service. If the money is not raised in the upcoming months, Moon Camp will go forward with their development plans, and this critical area for wildlife will be demolished, leaving Jackie and Shadow without a home.
There is still time to help! Donations can be made at savemooncamp.org, and you can share Jackie and Shadow’s story online to raise awareness. Saving Jackie and Shadow’s home is not just about them, it’s a good step towards protecting all of nature.
By Kinley O’Connor and Caroline Colclasure
