Photo credit: FOBBV

Update: 3/31/26

Exciting progress is being made to protect the home of Jackie and Shadow. Since our last update on March 12, a total of $1,558,160 has been raised to safeguard their habitat from development near Big Bear Lake, moving closer to the $10 million goal.

The San Bernardino Mountains Land Trust (SBMLT) has secured a limited Purchase Option Agreement for the property, an essential step in preserving the eagles’ critical foraging grounds along the North Shore of Big Bear Lake. But the clock is ticking: the full amount must be raised by July 31 to secure the land.

If successful, the Moon Camp property will be permanently protected and added to neighboring United States Forest Service (USFS) lands, ensuring this vital habitat remains wild and undisturbed for generations to come.

Help protect Jackie and Shadow’s home—donate today at SaveMoonCamp.org.

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Update: 3/12/26

Momentum is growing to safeguard the critical habitat of Big Bear’s cherished bald eagles, Jackie and Shadow.

The Save Moon Camp campaign has now raised $1,270,453 toward its $10 million goal to purchase approximately 63 acres of forested land near Big Bear Lake that are currently slated for development.

The effort, led by Friends of Big Bear Valley and San Bernardino Mountains Land Trust, aims to safeguard the property located less than a mile from Jackie and Shadow’s nest. Conservationists say the land is part of the eagles’ natural habitat and is used for perching and foraging.

If the property is successfully acquired, it will be permanently protected as wildlife habitat. Without the purchase, developers could move forward with plans to build dozens of homes and a marina on the site.

The Save Moon Camp campaign must reach its $10 million goal by July 31, 2026, to secure the land and help protect the ecosystem surrounding Big Bear Lake.

Help save Jackie and Shadow’s home—donate today at SaveMoonCamp.org.

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Friends of Big Bear Valley (FOBBV) is announcing one final chance to stop a luxury housing development and marina from being built on Moon Camp, an undisturbed area where the famous Bald Eagles Jackie and Shadow perch and forage, and where rare, endangered plants grow. After more than 20 years of public opposition, the developer has agreed to give the San Bernardino Mountains Land Trust (SBMLT) a limited option to purchase the property and protect it forever.

Moon Camp sits less than a mile from Jackie and Shadow’s nest. Experts have repeatedly testified that a large housing project there would cause “significant detrimental impact” to the Bald Eagles. Beyond threatening Jackie and Shadow’s ability to raise chicks, there’s a real risk they could abandon the area entirely if the North Shore is destroyed. In fact, before the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors approved the project last September, the public sent over 5,000 emails opposing it.

Before her passing on February 11, 2026, Sandy Steers, FOBBV’s executive director and a board member of SBMLT, helped negotiate this deal with the developers. Securing Moon Camp was the most important priority Steers had. Now SBMLT has less than six months, until July 31, 2026, to raise $10 million to buy nearly 63 acres of lakefront land for permanent conservation, right next to United States Forest Service land. Time is critical.

FOBBV is not buying the land themselves but is running the fundraising effort. They are calling on the public to donate through SaveMoonCamp.org and to spread the word online. This campaign is also being carried out in Sandy’s honor.

“We need everyone to become Jackie and Shadow’s hero,” Steers said before her passing.

This is FOBBV’s most ambitious fundraising effort in its nearly 25-year history. Steers had hoped that their 2.4 million social media followers, members, and supporters would step up, not just for Jackie and Shadow, but also for the San Bernardino Flying Squirrels and the endangered plants that depend on this unique ecosystem. Large donors and businesses will receive special honorary recognition.

“Every single Bald Eagle is an amazing individual being with the right to thrive. Big Bear Valley is the seventh most biologically diverse ecosystem in the country. It is essential that we protect and preserve our unique and rare species, some of which exist nowhere else in the world. Please help today, tomorrow, and the next day. We don’t have much time to protect Jackie and Shadow’s habitat and keep their foraging area from being destroyed,” Steers said in early February.

Help protect Jackie and Shadow’s home—donate today at SaveMoonCamp.org.