4th graders launch campaign to save bald eagles’ habitat after science class

Big Bear Valley: When 4th grade science teacher Sara Stinson introduced her students to Jackie and Shadow, a mating pair of bald eagles, she didn’t expect the lesson to leave the classroom.

The eagles and their two chicks are monitored 24/7 by a live webcam set up by the nonprofit Friends of Big Bear Valley. Stinson uses the feed to teach the cycle of life. “We get to see the eagles set up their nest, then we get to see them lay eggs, and then we get to see the eggs hatch and the chicks grow,” she told ABC 7 News.

A few months ago, Stinson noticed that the last undeveloped shoreline of Big Bear Lake, where the eagles hunt, was set to become a luxury housing development unless local activists raise $10 million to purchase it.She shared the news with her class. “They felt so passionate about it. They were like, ‘What can we do?’” Stinson said.

The students answered with action. One set up a lemonade stand. Another posted flyers around local businesses with donation info. Together, the class is fundraising and raising awareness to help the local wildlife trust buy the parcel of imperiled land.