Sandy Steers, the longtime executive director of Friends of Big Bear Valley and the founder of the widely watched Big Bear bald eagle nest camera, died Feb. 11. She was 73.
The nonprofit
announced her death on Wednesday in a statement posted to its official Facebook page, saying, “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 2/11/2026.”
“We will be providing more information in the future, but please give our team time to grieve and process this sad news,” stated the Friends of Big Bear Valley and Big Bear Eagle Nest Cam.
According to the San Bernardino Sun, Steers had been fighting cancer for the past several years.
Steers was widely known for launching the live camera trained on the bald eagle pair, Jackie and Shadow, in the San Bernardino National Forest.
The first camera was installed in 2015,
according to Friends of Big Bear Valley’s website. Steers developed the camera project in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service to monitor the nest.
Over time, the livestream evolved into a free, public educational platform, allowing viewers around the world to observe the eagles' daily lives without disturbing them.
Situated near Big Bear Lake in Southern California, the nest quickly captured widespread attention as the resident eagles not only nested but also successfully raised multiple eaglets, captivating viewers with their progress each season.
Each nesting season, viewers can watch as the eagles lay eggs, nurture their hatchlings, and witness the fledging of young birds. The livestream also reveals the harsh realities of wildlife survival, including enduring severe winter storms and losing eggs to predators.
The Outdoor Writers Association of California in 2023
recognized Steers as a nominee for its Outdoor Californian of the Year award, noting her 22-year tenure as executive director of Friends of Big Bear Valley and highlighting her leadership in environmental education, habitat preservation, and the launch of the Big Bear bald eagle nest livestream.
In being honored with the award, she was said to have truly exemplified “the spirit of the outdoors through her efforts to conserve the natural environment while helping to enhance and expand opportunities for outdoor recreation in California,” according to nominating OWAC Member Barbara Steinberg.
“Her efforts to preserve nesting sites for Big Bear Lake bald eagles and open space in the region including helping to save a rare pebble plain and a threatened paintbrush flower which is listed on the federal and the state endangered list, and only exists in Big Bear Valley,” said Steinberg.
Steers
recently discussed her work and the origins of the Jackie and Shadow eagle cam in a long-form community interview posted on YouTube, where she described the project’s educational mission and partnership with the U.S. Forest Service.
Steers
also once studied aerospace engineering at Purdue University and later worked at NASA’s Edwards Air Force Base. Later, she pursued a degree in biology at UCLA and guided boat tours in the Galápagos Islands. Around three decades ago, she triumphed over her first cancer diagnosis.
