Big Bear eaglets Sandy and Luna named by local students in tribute to late nonprofit director
Big Bear bald eagle eaglets born to Jackie and Shadow have been officially named Sandy and Luna following a public fundraiser and a classroom vote by Big Bear Valley third-graders, honoring longtime Friends of Big Bear Valley director Sandy Steers.
- Community-driven naming: Nearly 64,000 public entries (about 63,915) produced 30 finalists for a student vote.
- Student choice: Third-graders voted Sandy (30 votes) and Luna (25 votes) as the winners from the finalist list.
- Tribute: “Sandy” was the top public submission with 3,706 entries and honors late FOBBV director Sandy Steers.
- Watch live: Follow the nest 24/7 on the Big Bear Bald Eagle Live Nest Cam.
How the names were chosen
Friends of Big Bear Valley (FOBBV), which operates the 24-hour livestream, ran a public fundraiser to collect name suggestions. The campaign drew a very large response — nearly 64,000 name entries (about 63,915) — from which FOBBV randomly selected 30 names for classroom voting.
Big Bear Valley third-grade classes then cast the deciding ballots: Sandy received 30 votes and Luna 25. The process follows FOBBV’s long-standing tradition of combining public fundraising with local student participation to keep naming rooted in the community.
For further context see reporting by LAist and ABC7.
A tribute to Sandy Steers
The name Sandy was the single most popular public submission, with 3,706 entries. That coincidence became meaningful because it matches the name of FOBBV’s late executive director, Sandy Steers, who launched the eagle cam in 2015 and led outreach until her death in February after a battle with cancer.
FOBBV said Steers “would have been honored that you and the students went through the process and named one of the 2026 eaglets after her.”
Observers called the choice a fitting tribute to a leader who connected the community to Big Bear’s wildlife and amplified volunteer stewardship. See the ABC7 account for more on FOBBV’s statement: ABC7: Big Bear eaglets officially have names Sandy, Luna.
Eaglet development and distinguishing features
The chicks hatched on consecutive days: Sandy hatched April 4 at about 9:33 p.m. PDT, and Luna hatched April 5 at about 8:30 a.m. PDT. At nearly a month old they grew from about 2 ounces at hatching to nearly 3 pounds each. Their sexes have not yet been determined.
FOBBV monitors via the livestream and staff/volunteer observers have noted subtle differences: Sandy is slightly larger with a more robust head and neck and a mild curve to its gape, while Luna is smaller and has displayed a more assertive temperament. FOBBV cautioned these traits can change as the chicks mature. (See Popular Science and LAist for reporting.)
Where to watch
The primary viewing option is the 24-hour livestream: the Friends of Big Bear Valley channel hosts the Big Bear Bald Eagle Live Nest Cam so fans worldwide can follow Jackie, Shadow, Sandy and Luna in real time.
Local students and community engagement
Teachers coordinated classroom voting after FOBBV provided the 30-name shortlist. The exercise doubled as a civic and science lesson, connecting conservation education to an active community tradition. Supporters note the model builds local pride: volunteers, school programs and donors sustain the effort rather than relying solely on government programs.
FOBBV’s fundraiser that produced the nearly 64,000 public entries demonstrates how small-scale fundraising plus broad public outreach can generate meaningful engagement and stewardship.
Runners-up and public interest
Other popular names in the public pool included Star, Chip and Phoenix. The breadth of submissions—more than 63,900—illustrates national and international interest in the nest and had the dual effect of raising funds and drawing attention to the livestream. See additional coverage at VVNG.
Investigative note on transparency and process
FOBBV has described its process clearly: public submissions to a fundraiser produced a large pool; 30 names were randomly drawn; local third-graders made the final selection. The organization publicly shared numbers — 63,915 submissions and 3,706 mentions of “Sandy” — which helped reassure participants that the naming reflected both broad interest and local civic participation. (Sources: ABC7, LAist.)
Implications for Huntington Beach, California
Economic: Interest in the Big Bear livestream can inspire wildlife-minded visitors to travel for nature tourism, a model that Huntington Beach nonprofits might adapt for coastal wildlife to support local ecotourism.
Political & social: The story highlights community-driven stewardship and volunteerism; local groups and schools can replicate FOBBV’s public-fundraising-plus-student-vote model as an alternative to large government programs.
Practical: Simple steps for replication include fundraising tied to naming contests, deploying live webcams to broaden audiences, and involving students in civic decisions to teach conservation and community service.
Sources and further reading
- ABC7: Big Bear eaglets officially have names Sandy, Luna
- LAist: Sandy, Luna: Big Bear bald eaglets’ names
- Popular Science: Jackie and Shadow eaglets naming details
- VVNG: Big Bear eaglets named Sandy and Luna
- Friends of Big Bear Valley YouTube livestream
Follow the Big Bear eaglets Sandy and Luna and watch Jackie and Shadow on the FOBBV channel to observe their growth and the continuing community-backed naming tradition.
