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Fans gather in Big Bear to say goodbye to Jackie the eagle. How to join from afar
A memorial for Jackie at Fawnskin Freedom Park is overflowing with flowers, tributes and notes for the late eagle on Friday, Oct 2.
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Makenna Cramer
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The Big Bear community and fans of the famous bald eagles that call the valley home are coming together this weekend to honor Jackie.
Jackie, who with her partner Shadow won hearts around the world on a popular YouTube livestream, died in August after weeks of intensive care.
A group of local, state and federal officials and organizations, including the nonprofit behind the livestream, Friends of Big Bear Valley, helped organize the “Wings Over Big Bear” weekend with a commemoration ceremony Saturday and Wildlife Education Day Sunday.
Diane Lech came up from Carlsbad and stopped by to see the overflowing Jackie memorial at Fawnskin Freedom Park. She’s been watching the livestream since 2015, when the cameras were first installed.
“And [Jackie’s] been part of my life ever since,” Lech said, her eyes welling up with tears. “It’s heartwarming to know that she had such an effect on so many people.”
Nearly two months after Jackie's death, fans are still in mourning.
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Makenna Cramer
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A handcrafted wooden statue of Jackie flying with a fish in her talons next to the memorial in Fawnskin Freedom Park.
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Makenna Cramer
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A community comes together
Vanessa Bloom, a Huntington Beach resident, and her mom are regular viewers of the eagle livestream. Bloom said the ceremony feels like a coming-together at a time when there’s so much polarization and division in the world.
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“Everyone's here for a common cause,” Bloom said. “There's a lot of unity and people just being with each other in a time of tragedy, which you don't really see that often, and I think that's special.”
Artist Wes Abarca spray-painting a memorial piece for Jackie on Saturday, Oct. 3 at Bear Mountain Ski Resort.
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Makenna Cramer
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A plane drew a "J" and a heart in the sky over the crowd watching the ceremony.
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Makenna Cramer
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About 2,000 people RSVP'd to the commemoration ceremony Saturday at Bear Mountain Ski Resort, according to organizers.
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Makenna Cramer
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Maggie Keen, a Thousand Oaks resident, took her first trip to Big Bear in years to attend the ceremony.
“[Jackie] was just amazing,” Keen said. “Very strong, took charge of everything and was just like an incredible bird to watch her with the fledglings.”
The Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation kicked the ceremony off with several songs.
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Makenna Cramer
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Audience members were invited to dance along to celebration of life songs led by the Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation.
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Makenna Cramer
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LAist
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Ron Wood, better known as Woody, works at Captain John's Fawn Harbor & Marina by Dana Point Park in Fawnskin, where he points out the nest to fans daily.
“We all thought that she was going to come around and be brought back here, and, you know, it's pretty depressing,” Wood said. “Every single person still that comes is teary-eyed.”
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Ron Wood holds up a framed photo of what he said is a young Jackie, along with her parents Ricky and Lucy. He usually has the popular YouTube livestream of the eagle nest playing in the background.
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Makenna Cramer
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Jenny Voisard, media manager for Friends of Big Bear Valley, told LAist ahead of the ceremony that the turnout shows just how the love people have for Jackie.
“A lot of people were surprised at how much they were grieving,” Voisard said. “We all still miss Jackie.”
Michael Muhm and Peggy Muhm came from Colleyville, Texas to honor Jackie in their matching eagle shirts.
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Makenna Cramer
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Rachel Mulpas and Randy Mulpas, a father-daughter duo, drove up from Ladera Ranch in Orange County.
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Makenna Cramer
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Carmina Chun and John Chun wearing "Fly High, Jackie" shirts from the Ontario Tower Buzzers' August event honoring the eagle.
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Makenna Cramer
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Joan Eminger was all smiles Saturday at Bear Mountain Ski Resort, sporting a Jackie shirt and pin.
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Makenna Cramer
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Couldn't make it in person?
Livestream
- Watch the event here
Send a postcard for Jackie
Visit Big Bear said to send a note for Jackie on postcards that represent your community or a place that is meaningful to you.
Mail to: Post Cards for Jackie, P.O. Box 1936, Big Bear Lake, CA 92315
For those that weren't able to make it Big Bear in person, you can still send postcards from your community.
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Makenna Cramer
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LAist
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Fans were invited to fill out postcards for Jackie at the commemoration ceremony Saturday.
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Makenna Cramer
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LAist
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You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
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