4th grade science teacher Sara Stinson must have known she was doing a great job when her intrepid students began giving themselves extra homework.
It didn’t involve studying for an exam, but raising money to help a local wildlife trust buy a parcel of imperiled land in California’s Big Bear Valley where Jackie and Shadow make their nest.
Jackie and Shadow are a mating pair of bald eagles that Stinson introduced to her class last year. They and their two chicks are monitored by a 24/7 live webcam set up by the Friends of Big Bear Valley (FOBBV) nonprofit.
“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,” Stinson told ABC 7 news, adding that it is the perfect accompaniment to the cycle of life course.
Then a few months ago, Stinson noticed while pulling up the live cam that the area where the eagles hunt—the last undeveloped shoreline of the beautiful Big Bear Lake, was going to be turned into a luxury housing development unless local environmental activists come up with $10 million to purchase it.
“I started sharing the information with them and they felt so passionate about it. They were like, ‘What can we do?'” Stinton said.
What they could do was fundraise and generate awareness—a dual mission they pursued with passion. One student told ABC he set up a lemonade stand, while another said she was posting flyers around local businesses with information about how to donate.
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“When we first heard about this news, it was very sad for us because we are worried that the thing we have been watching for years can go away,” said 4th grader Evie Cook.
The San Bernardino Mountains Land Trust (SBMLT) entered into a limited Purchase Option Agreement to buy the land, called Moon Camp, as a last resort, with the organization having until the end of July to pay the developer for the biodiverse area that includes not only the hunting ground of Shadow and Jackie, but also the habitat for some endemic plant species like the ash-gray Indian paintbrush.
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So far, SBMLT and FOBBV have raised around a quarter of the total, and both admitted that they will eventually attempt to secure a loan to make the purchase if it comes down to it.
Until then, the kids are hard at work with their lemonade stands and their bake sales—determined to give back to the eagles that first enriched their science class all those months ago.
Interested parties can donate to the cause here.
WATCH the story below from ABC News…
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