Wings Over Big Bear: A Community Tribute to Jackie the Bald Eagle

The two-day tribute will begin with a commemorative ceremony at Bear Mountain on Saturday, October 3, followed by Wildlife Education Day activities throughout the Big Bear Valley on Sunday, October 4.

For years, people around the world watched Jackie’s life unfold in the mountains of Big Bear through the famous Big Bear Bald Eagle Cam. Wings Over Big Bear will give the community, visitors and eagle watchers an opportunity to gather in the place Jackie called home, remember her life and celebrate the connection she created between people and Big Bear’s wild landscape.

That connection was made possible in large part through the work of Sandy Steers, the longtime executive director of Friends of Big Bear Valley and one of the driving forces behind the Big Bear Bald Eagle Cam. Sandy helped transform a local bald eagle nest into a window to the wild that people around the world could experience from home. Her passing in February 2026 marked another profound loss for Big Bear’s wildlife community, just months before Jackie’s death.

Wings Over Big Bear 2026: Date, Time & Location

What Is Wings Over Big Bear?

Wings Over Big Bear is a new community tribute created to honor the life and legacy of Jackie, Big Bear’s beloved bald eagle.

Through the Big Bear Eagle Cam, millions of viewers were given an unusually intimate window into the life of a wild bald eagle in the San Bernardino Mountains. Viewers watched the beauty of the nest alongside its difficult moments, connecting people far beyond Southern California with Big Bear’s wildlife and natural environment.

Wings Over Big Bear turns that connection into an in-person weekend centered not only on remembrance, but also on wildlife education and conservation.

The event is being organized through a broad community collaboration that includes Visit Big Bear, Care for Big Bear, Friends of Big Bear Valley, the City of Big Bear Lake, Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation, Big Bear Mountain Resort, Big Bear Alpine Zoo, San Bernardino National Forest, Southern California Mountains Foundation and other community organizations.

Saturday, October 3: Jackie Commemoration Ceremony at Bear Mountain

The main Wings Over Big Bear Commemoration Ceremony will take place Saturday morning at Bear Mountain Ski Resort [ 43101 Goldmine Drive].

The venue opens at 10:00 AM, with the tribute beginning at 10:30 AM.

Guests are invited to gather for music, remembrance and reflection while connecting with local organizations and wildlife agencies working to protect Big Bear’s natural environment.

The memorial event is free to attend, although guests are asked to RSVP in advance.

Sunday, October 4: Wildlife Education Day

The tribute continues Sunday with Wildlife Education Day, expanding the event beyond Jackie’s story into the wildlife and habitat she came to represent.

Activities will take place at locations throughout Big Bear Valley and are expected to include tours, activities, conservation experiences and opportunities to learn about Big Bear wildlife and the local efforts protecting its natural habitats.

The original event announcement describes Sunday as a family-friendly opportunity to explore the valley, learn more about local wildlife and support conservation.

Specific Sunday locations, activities and times are still to come.

Bookmark this page before your trip. We’ll add the Wildlife Education Day schedule as organizers release additional information.

The Woman Who Helped Bring Jackie to the World: Remembering Sandy Steers

Jackie’s story is also deeply connected to the legacy of Sandy Steers.

A biologist, conservationist and longtime executive director of Friends of Big Bear Valley, Sandy spent decades advocating for Big Bear’s wildlife and natural habitats. She became especially connected to the valley’s bald eagles and helped spearhead the effort to give people a closer look at their lives.

After years of planning, fundraising and collaboration with the U.S. Forest Service, Friends of Big Bear Valley installed the first Big Bear bald eagle nest camera in 2015. What began as a way to better observe and understand the eagles grew into a worldwide community following Jackie, Shadow and their family.

Sandy became one of the most recognizable voices behind that community, sharing observations about the eagles while using their story to educate people about Big Bear’s larger ecosystem and the importance of protecting wildlife habitat.

Sandy passed away on February 11, 2026, at age 73. Her conservation work, however, remains intertwined with the story Wings Over Big Bear is gathering to celebrate. Without Sandy’s determination to bring people closer to the nest, countless viewers around the world may never have experienced Jackie’s life in such an intimate way.

Following Jackie’s passing, Friends of Big Bear Valley offered a fitting remembrance connecting two lives that had become so closely associated with Big Bear’s wild landscape: “Soar high and free with Sandy.”

Wings Over Big Bear FAQ

Remembering Jackie and Protecting What Comes Next

For millions of people, the Big Bear Bald Eagle Cam transformed a distant wild nest into something they could return to day after day.

Wings Over Big Bear gives that community an opportunity to gather in Big Bear itself.

The weekend is a chance to remember Jackie, learn more about the wildlife that shares her mountain home and support the conservation of the habitats that made her story possible.

As the original announcement puts it, the community is coming together not only to honor Jackie’s legacy, but to recommit to protecting Big Bear’s wild places.

Wings Over Big Bear
October 3–4, 2026 | Big Bear Lake, California