1. Friends of Big Bear Valley and an Entertaining Eagle Family

Hey SuperKind Superheroes! You're going to LOVE going behind-the-scenes of the Friends of Big Bear Valley Eagle Cam with this interview with Sandy Steers! Who are Jackie and Shadow? How long have they been nesting in Big Bear? What can YOU do to help them out? It's all covered in this oh-so-interesting episode!

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Want to dive deeper into Friends of Big Bear Valley and all things Eagles? I've put together an EPIC unit for you with video lessons and activity guides that includes fun science, poetry, math, and tons of information about eagles! Head to teamkindhumans.com/kindschooling to play along with me!

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Transcript

Friends of Big Bear Valley SuperKind

Katie Doughty: [00:00:00] Hey, super kind kids. Welcome to our podcast where kindness rules as the ultimate superpower. Get set for an awesome adventure. As we talk with amazing nonprofits, chat with your favorite authors and shine a spotlight on kids, just like you making a big impact, but guess what? We're not just talking about kindness.

We're diving into action in every episode. We'll explore the magic of empathy and how you can make a difference. We'll share heartwarming stories, talk about fun and easy ways to spread kindness, and discover how simple acts can turn you into a real life superhero. Plus, get ready to roll up your sleeves, because we'll be doing fun, impactful community service projects together, right from wherever you are.

This podcast is all about bringing out the superhero in you. Are you ready to strengthen your mind and shine your kind? Then grab your headphones, straighten your capes, and join us on [00:01:00] Superkind Kids.

Hey, super kind kids. Welcome to the very first episode. Of super kind. I'm so happy that you're here to join us today because today is a very special episode. I am joined by Sandy steers of friends of big bear valley. And she is here to tell us all about the Eagle cam that features Jackie and shadow and their eggs. 

That should be hatching soon. I have been watching with my family for a couple of years, this sweet Eagle family. And so I'm really excited to be able to ask some questions to Sandy who has been part of friends of big bear valley for quite a while. And she has the inside scoop on their nest.

Friends of big bear valley hosts, this Eagle cam on YouTube so that you can tune in live and watch what the Eagles are up to at any time of the day. And the best part is that it's ad free. So you don't have to watch [00:02:00] those boring commercials. 

As a fun bonus for my favorite super kind kids, I've put together an Eagle journal that you can download and sketch what you see in the nest. 

It's really fun to record your observations and see what happens in the nest over time. 

You can grab this super cool guide at team kind, humans.com/super kind. 

And be sure to stick around at the end of the interview for your first kindness challenge. So without further ado, let's dive into all things Eagles with Sandy steers. 

Katie Doughty: Hello, Sandy. Welcome to the podcast. I'm really excited to dive in with you today. So welcome. Thank you very much, Katie. Glad to be here. Oh, this is going to be a great conversation. So would you please take a moment to introduce yourself and tell us your role in Friends of Big Bear Valley? I'm Sandy Steers, and I'm the executive [00:03:00] director of Friends of Big Bear Valley, and I've been that for over 20 years now.

Sandy Steers: And so I get the fun of managing the eagles. Managing the eagles. Yes, I bet a lot of our listeners right now are watching that eagle cam. So could you tell us a little bit about Friends of Big Bear Valley? What is the mission, and what are some things you're working on? Friends Big Bear Valley is a nonprofit and our mission is to preserve and be able to teach people about all of the amazing special habitats, special species that are in Big Bear Valley.

And it turns out we're 1 of the, we are the, like, the 7th most biodiverse place in the country, including national parks and all kinds of things. So. We have a lot of special species and habitats here, and we want them to be preserved for everybody to enjoy them and see them and and have them survive.

That's incredible. 

Katie Doughty: I didn't know [00:04:00] that. That's neat. So the 7th. Wow. What does it mean to be biodiverse? It means 

Sandy Steers: to have a lot of different kinds of species, special little species, not just all very common species. 

Katie Doughty: Amazing. So what is it that you do to help protect these species? 

Sandy Steers: We no, we Pay attention to when areas are being developed or proposed for development and review all the environmental documents to see that they've properly studied and that they're going to take care of doing mitigations or avoiding the areas that have these special habitats.

And we do comments on all of those putting up the ego cam as part of our conservation for teaching people about. About nature and about the eagles and how special it is, and it that's had a big impact, which is awesome. The and [00:05:00] so now that we have the ego cam, actually, the people are paying more attention to us in the valley that we really do know what we're talking about.

And we're just trying to conserve the species and teach everybody about nature. 

Katie Doughty: I think to one of the best things you can do to protect nature is to learn about nature. And so let's dive into the Eagle Camp. First of all, where, where is it located? Where is Big Bear Valley? 

Sandy Steers: Big Bear Valley is in Southern California, and it's in the mountains about halfway between Los Angeles and Palm Springs.

So up about you have to drive between them, but then go up 

Katie Doughty: and it's quite a way. So my husband and I had the opportunity to go visit Big Bear Valley and it is a drive. It's pretty windy all the way up. Yes. Once you get there. Wow. It's beautiful. Beautiful. So let's dive into the Eagle Cam because we've [00:06:00] been watching my family and I've been watching the Eagle Cam since spirit hatched.

Yeah. Okay. Spirit was one of the babies of Jackie and Shadow, the mom and dad, and that was the first time we started watching, and then we've been watching ever since. So, can you give us a little background on the Eagle Cam? How did you decide that that's what you wanted to do? How did you get the Eagle Cam in the tree?

And then what's been going on since then? 

Sandy Steers: Sure. Well, I had the privilege of finding out from the Forest Service when the first eagle chick in, ever in history was hatched in Big Bear Valley. And it was in a place that I could see it through a spotting scope from about a half a mile from my house and a half a mile from the nest.

And so, I got to. Watch that eagle chick grow up through a spotting scope, and I was just completely fascinated and that nest we watched for the next [00:07:00] couple of years. And it turns out that chick we believe was Jackie because the, there was always only 1 pair of adults. That was in the valley. Throughout the year, we have other wintering bald eagles, but through the year, there was always 1 pair.

And then after that eagle, it was hatched. There was always 1 additional eagle in the valley. That was the right age to be that chick. And then that is the 1 that came to the nest eventually, but the parents had some more hatchlings and. After Jackie fledged and we would watch from the spotting scope, but we couldn't see very well.

And we wanted to see better what was happening because 1 time the eggs didn't hatch. And another time the chicks kind of disappeared in a snowstorm. And so we wanted to see really what was going on. So I took it to my board of directors and we agreed to raise [00:08:00] funds and get an eagle nest camera and we hired a very special specialist, he's an expert in doing the, the, the cameras and things like that.

He did them in Catalina and he came and designed our system and the nest is 145 feet up in the tree. So, my gosh, we had to hire special climbers who can climb the tree on ropes without harming it. And be able to take all the equipment and know how to do the electronics and everything like that. So it's very, you know, I think there's like, maybe 10 in the country people that could have done this and.

We got them to come and get the nest up in the tree. I mean, get the camera up in the tree and it's run from the ground by solar system. And so it's a big deal because it's in the forest. So there's not electricity out there. We had to [00:09:00] do a lot of special equipment and we got that all done in October of 2015.

so it's been live since then, but after we got it up in the nest, we discovered. That the eagles that had been there the season before had built a new nest. So, the first year it was empty. No way. Yes. But then the next season with that empty nest, another eagle came that was the right age to be Jackie.

And so we believe that's who took over the nest. That, the other eagles that were here left the area. We don't know what happened to them, but after their one year in that new nest, then they decided to move on. And Jackie took over this nest and the first year she had a mate that was called Mr. B. 

Katie Doughty: Yes.

Tell us about 

Sandy Steers: Mr. B. We don't know where Mr. B came from or anything. He just showed up at the nest and [00:10:00] started being with Jackie. And the first year they had the first year they didn't have any eggs, and we think Jackie was still too young. They have to be five to get, to be mature enough to have eggs.

And the next year, there were two eggs and two chicks called Stormy and BBB. 

Katie Doughty: BBB. What does BBB mean? Big Bear Baby. Oh, Big Bear Baby. Okay. 

Sandy Steers: And the so we got That still had winter storms and everything after they were hatched and BBB did not make it through 1 of those storms. There's the eagle. It's when they're 1st hatch, they have just this little fluffy down and they're not waterproof for anything.

The adults are are waterproof. They have over 7000 feathers on their outside. That are all waterproof and they kind of zip together to keep them really dry. And then they have down feathers underneath, but the little chicks just have the down and they start growing their [00:11:00] other feathers. But until they're a little over 6 weeks old, they're not waterproof, but they're big and hard to fit under the mother.

So we had a storm when. The chicks were too big to fit completely under Jackie, weren't waterproof yet, and BBB did not make it through that one, sadly. Yeah. But but Stormy went on and fledged and went off into the world. 

Katie Doughty: Amazing. And then, I know Mr. B isn't around anymore, so when did Shadow show up in the 

Sandy Steers: picture?

He actually showed up while Stormy was still going back and forth to the nest. He had fledged, but he was still in the area. And Shadow showed up, and everybody tried to chase him away. Stormy tried to chase him away, the chick. And Mr. B tried to chase him away, and Jackie tried to chase him away. But he wouldn't have any of it.

He would just stand his ground. He didn't fight them. He didn't do anything. He would just [00:12:00] stand there. And if they tried to fight him, Mr. B, you know, sometimes would try to push him away. And he would just back up out of the way and stand back up. And eventually Mr. B just left. And Shadow took over being the mate for Jackie.

Katie Doughty: Is that something that's common in the wild for males to take over a nest that already is occupied by another male? I do 

Sandy Steers: not, I do not know. We don't have any evidence that it is, but this is the only one that I've seen. But I saw it with my own eyes. I saw the last time we saw Mr. B at the nest, I watched Shadow just act like a punching dummy and he would just keel out of the way and then stand right back up.

And finally, Mr. B just gave up and we didn't see him again on the nest. Wow. 

Katie Doughty: I do appreciate that Shadow was kind in that respect, even though, yes, he took over the nest, but at least he wasn't aggressive or mean. He wasn't aggressive 

Sandy Steers: at all. No, he just would stand there. It was just 

Katie Doughty: [00:13:00] determined. Yeah. He just thought that was a great place to live.

So why, why can't he join? Yeah. 

Sandy Steers: And so then, And he actually is a much better mate for Jackie than, than Mr. B was. He, he lets Jackie be the boss, Shadow lets Jackie be the boss, but he's not afraid of her. Mr. B was a little afraid of her. Oh, interesting. Okay. And so Shadow's not afraid, and if he doesn't want to do what she's bossing him around to do, he just kind of smiles at her and ignores her.

It's 

Katie Doughty: so funny to watch the two together because they're quite a pair, but you're right, I think Jackie runs the show. Oh, absolutely, yes. But Shadow is very supportive, and he is very involved with the raising of the chicks. 

Sandy Steers: Yes, he, he takes his turn on the nest, on the eggs, and actually We'll complain if Jackie comes back and he's not ready to leave the nest.

He says no, it's still my turn Yeah, I'm gonna stay here and he will you know he will turtle ladder [00:14:00] and he will sit and he will try to ignore her and sometimes she has to Come and almost push him out of the nest to get back in to take her duty. Yes. I've 

Katie Doughty: noticed that too. And sometimes he'll bring a big stick back and we'll, we'll giggle while he tries to place the stick, but mostly it's just hitting Jackie until she leaves so that he can have his turn.

Sandy Steers: That's exactly what he does. He's got it down. One of his favorite methods. 

Katie Doughty: Yeah. He knows how to use those sticks and it's pretty entertaining. What I love. So much about this eagle cam is what an opportunity to watch nature in action without being invasive, but learn the day to day of these eagles. Yes.

Sandy Steers: And to find out what personalities they have and what emotions they have. We see them express their, you know, their emotions. You can tell when they're upset with each other. You can tell when they're sad about something that just happened. They behave completely differently. It's not like they're just these things out there, you know, flying [00:15:00] around.

They have their own individual personality and Jackie is quite distinct from shadow and they're both different from each of the chicks and from Mr. B. So, every one of them has their own distinct personality. 

Katie Doughty: Yeah. And what a way you're right to get to know them and to learn more about them as a species and be able to, I think, get that in depth knowledge of them by seeing them minute by minute, what they're doing, you know, it's not like reading it in a book, you're actually seeing the process play out in front of you.

And speaking of that, so I've been watching, you know, for a couple of years now, and there was a time when some of the eggs did not hatch. Or like you said, one of the babies doesn't make it. What would you say to kids listening as they watch something like that happen? Because that is a possibility in nature that a baby might not make it.

That is 

Sandy Steers: a possibility in nature. And what we have to assume is that mother nature knows [00:16:00] what's best for all of them. And that for some reason they chose to not stay this time or whatever reason, or, you know, they wouldn't have made it. As strong enough to be out in the world on their own, and so it's part of what we have to learn about nature and see what it does.

It's and knowing that hopefully people will appreciate how fragile nature is and. Do their best to take good care of it and to honor it and to see the struggles that nature goes through. It's not just, you know, out there doing what it does and everything we do has an impact. So we need to learn that.

Katie Doughty: Yeah, absolutely. We have to do our part to take care of it. And the more we know and the more we learn about it, the more empathy we have for those creatures. Exactly. Yes. What makes a good environment for an eagle to survive? Because we've been watching lately and all of this snow and sometimes my [00:17:00] kids get a little concerned with how much snow there is.

But what's okay for an eagle that might not be okay for a human? 

Sandy Steers: Well, actually that cull is perfectly fine for the eagle because of all those waterproof feathers and then the down underneath they have, it's like they're wearing a, a winter waterproof parka. So that, and because they have that many feathers and it's all waterproof, they actually get too hot in the summer.

So part of the reason for them laying the eggs early in the snow is so that by the time the chick grows up enough to fledge, to fly for the first time, then. That it's not too hot and so they like to get them off of the nest before the summer starts really heating up. Oh, interesting. 

Katie Doughty: I didn't realize that.

I've always been concerned or confused as to why they start in the middle of winter because it seems like such a difficult time to sit on those eggs. But that makes sense. They know looking [00:18:00] forward that they need to raise these kids right and get them out before the heat of the summer. How fascinating.

Yeah, and 

Sandy Steers: part of when the The Eagles get fertile has to do with where the sun is in the sky, you know, for by the season. And so, depending on how high the sun is in the sky, and so we're in a, even though we're in, we're in a lower. Latitude the, so that makes it warmer and they, they get that sun earlier than way in the north of the country, but, but we're in the mountains.

So it's much colder, even though they're getting that sun. So it's kind of a combination of different aspects of seasons and latitude that we're dealing with. 

Katie Doughty: That's amazing. Nature is incredible. It just knows how to work. Doesn't it? Yes. It knows what it's doing. And I think that's so fascinating. So do you have a favorite eagle moment [00:19:00] that has happened in the nest?

Sandy Steers: Well, sometimes when the chicks are first hatched, they are, they are just adorable. They look to me, they're these little fluffy. You know, fuzzy little white things, and they have great big black eyes, and they look like little aliens have just landed in the nest. So, I just love it when they're there, and those 2 little chicks are standing there, or even when there's just 1, they stand there and just, they're adorable.

Watch, and they grow so fast. In only 10 to 12 weeks, they go from that little bitty fuzzy white thing to a full grown eagle. And it's amazing to see how quickly they can do that. 

Katie Doughty: It is amazing. And they're kind of bobblehead, right? They're they're trying 

Sandy Steers: to keep their head up. They can points, they end up yet.

Yes. 

Katie Doughty: They're very awkward, but so cute and fun to watch. And you're right, having the cam lets you watch them grow from the very [00:20:00] beginning and it does happen fast. Yes. 

Sandy Steers: It does. It's incredible. And to see one of the things that was fascinating to me, the shadow, because he was just five years old when he made it with Jackie that meant he hadn't been the father of babies before.

And so when they had their first. Clutch of eggs, he was fascinated when he saw the first egg and you could see him standing there just kind of turning his head like wow, you know, he had never seen an egg before because other eagles won't let him in the nest and he hadn't been, you know, in a nest seeing eggs at all.

And then when the first chick was born, Jackie stood behind him and kind of taught him how to feed the chick and he, he would. You know, take a little piece and he would kind of keep watching and seeing what Jackie was doing and, and then he'd try it and, and he, you know, until he got it down, it was [00:21:00] hilarious to watch him and adorable to see how he tried and how he learned how to feed the chicks from 

Katie Doughty: Jackie.

So you're watching him develop as a dad as the years go by and now he seems like a professional like he's been doing this his whole life. But how interesting that he had to watch and learn just like humans, right? We watch each other and we learn from each other. And he had to do the same thing. You get to watch that unfold.

Sandy Steers: It was beautiful. And he was so gentle. Oh my gosh, 

Katie Doughty: this is incredible. It's just such, it's been such a blessing to watch with my kids and be able to watch from beginning to end the whole. stages of having the eggs and watching them hatch and then watching the babies grow and watching them fledge too.

And when I know when we started watching it with Spirit and so Spirit would start flapping, flapping, flapping, flapping, and we'd be like, Oh, this might be the moment. And then she would be like, I'm all done. Okay. And but we, every day we'd come back, Oh, this might be the day that she tries to fly out of the nest.

[00:22:00] And it really brought a lot of joy to us. And I think for those listening, it's bringing them a lot of joy too. So what an opportunity. 

Sandy Steers: Yes, it's amazing to watch them build their muscles and flap and get serious, and the first time they're able to lift themselves off the ground a couple inches, and it is, it's adorable.

And also with Spirit, the egg that was laid with Spirit did not hatch, but Spirit took it as her own Well, almost like a blankie to have in the nest with her and she would huddle up next to it and she would get mad if either Jackie or shadow touched it. It was like, it was her egg. Yeah, it was a comfort.

Oh, so sweet. Adorable. Oh, what 

Katie Doughty: a thing to watch. So tell us a little bit more about for those kids listening, why is it important to care about something like this? Why should we be watching? Why should we have organizations like Friends of Big Bear Valley? What's the importance of 

Sandy Steers: that? [00:23:00] To me, it's the importance of connecting your heart with nature, connecting your heart with anything, because our emotions are the thing that is the most special about us.

Being able to look at something with that feeling of just and just treasuring what you're seeing opens your heart and it makes you a beautiful person. It makes you a kind person. It makes you have compassion and be able to deal with other people and understand that. Other beings and other people are coming from a different perspective than you, and maybe you can have compassion for what they're, they're seeing or feeling, even if you don't understand it.

And so, to me, using nature to open hearts is something that I'm very honored to be able to work with. You 

Katie Doughty: said that beautifully. So perfect. It's opening your heart to love others and feel the wonder and the awe in this world. And so for those kids listening right now, [00:24:00] just by being loving, accepting, having empathy, you're changing the world.

Right, you're making absolutely 

Sandy Steers: because you're whatever happens inside of you, you radiate that out. If you're feeling that heartfelt energy, you have a little smile, even if it's not on your face, you have it inside your body and and that energy. People, other people can feel and when they feel it, they think, Oh, well, maybe the world's okay.

And it makes them feel better if they were feeling bad or even better if they were feeling good. And, and so it radiates out and you are changing the world. The more people that can open their heart to the things going on around them, no matter what they are, the better the world will be. Wow. 

Katie Doughty: What power we have inside of us that I think sometimes we forget we have.

What a good reminder. So if kids and families do want to get involved with Friends of Big Bear Valley, what's available to them? 

Sandy Steers: We have [00:25:00] for classrooms, we have Zoom. Classes, zoom sessions that we will do with the classroom so they can answer, get all the questions answered that they might have.

They can, of course, all the time, follow the live stream and be watching the eagles and watching what happens and how they nurture the chicks and watch the chicks grow up. We answer if they, we have, a Facebook page that we tell the story of what's happening every day with what's what's going on.

And people make comments and can ask questions and everything like that. So, if they have a particular question, they can put it there and we will make sure they get their answer. We're putting together materials for. Teachers, especially, but other people to be able to download that has information about the bald eagles.

And we do have a fact page and a history page on our website so that people can check. It's [00:26:00] friends of big bear valley dot org, but they can check and find the information that's there and we try to give people as many facts as we can, especially about the eagles, but about nature in general. 

Katie Doughty: And I think you have things to purchase, too, don't 

Sandy Steers: you?

Oh yes, we have merchandise as well. And we have some children's books about the eagles. One about Spirit and one about Jackie and Shadow. And we have t shirts and other things like that. Everything has Jackie and Shadow featured on it, or one of the chicks. Because that's what people want. They want that connection with the eagles.

And we're thrilled. To be able to supply that with them. They're 

Katie Doughty: so cute too. I've taken a peek at them and their portraits are adorable. Thank you. I love them. Well, Sandy, this has been so informative and heart opening and I'm so grateful that you took the time to talk with us today about the Eagles and friends of Big Bear Valley and congrats on all the work you've been [00:27:00] doing and all the good that you've been putting out in the world.

It's really, it's really spectacular. 

Sandy Steers: Thank you. Thank you very much for having me. I appreciate it. 

Katie Doughty: Wow. What'd you think super kind kids. Did you enjoy that interview with Sandy steers? I thought it was really interesting to hear more about friends at big bear valley and all that they're doing to take care of these Eagles and other animals in this really cool natural space. How fascinating that you have the opportunity to watch Eagles? Just live their lives. 

I think that's so fun to be able to peek in on their home, on their nest and see what's going on from day to day. All right. Are you ready for your first kindness challenge? Would you like to help friends of big bear valley and Jackie and shadow and the Eagles? Well, I have something. Really special for you. 

There's a super easy way for you to help these Eagles. And it involves one of my favorite things to do. Coloring. That's right. [00:28:00] You can use your art to help the Eagles. Here's your job. Take a moment and really study the nest. Watch Jackie watch shadow. What are they doing? What do they look like? What is going on around them? 

Look at the scene behind them. Look at the beautiful lake and the trees. And then draw a picture of it. What do you see? And what do you notice what's important to you? And after you draw a picture, you can ask a friend or a family member or a community member. If they'd like to make a donation to friends at big bear valley in exchange for your art. 

So you have a way of giving back to friends of big bear valley. Simply by drawing a picture.

And remember that really cool Eagle journal I was telling you about at the beginning of the episode, that you can go to teen kind, humans.com/super kind and download for free. Wow. I included an extra special page on there for you to do your Eagle drawing on [00:29:00] that gives some directions for when you're ready to offer it for somebody to make a donation to friends at big bear valley.

So have a, grown-up go to team kind, humans.com/super kind and print your journal for you so that you can start sketching what you see in the nest and make a beautiful Eagle art masterpiece to raise money for friends of big bear valley. 

And before you give that art masterpiece away, I love to see it. Will you send me a picture? You can tag super kind dot kids on Instagram, and I will see your masterpiece. I'd love to see what you come up with and cheer you on as you help these beautiful Eagles and the natural spaces of big bear valley.

 And if you want to learn even more about Eagles and dive, even deeper into Eagles and what they're all about, I have a whole kind schooling unit just for you that revolve around Jackie and shadow and friends of big bear valley with lots of fun videos and activities that you [00:30:00] can do and have fun learning about Eagles. And you can find that at team kind, humans.com/kind schooling. 

So I can't wait to see your masterpieces. I'm so proud of you for wanting to help the Eagles and friends of big bear valley. And I'm cheering you on. 

: Remember to stay kind. And I'll talk to you again soon on the next episode of SuperKind kids.