Overview
- Friends of Big Bear Valley said Sandy Steers died on the evening of Feb. 11, 2026, and asked for privacy as the team grieves.
- The organization told USA TODAY she died from cancer, noting she had overcome the disease about 30 years ago before a later re-diagnosis.
- Steers led the nonprofit for more than two decades, helping install the Jackie and Shadow nest cameras in 2015 and becoming the livestream’s primary explainer.
- Recent attention on the cam followed a Jan. 30 raven attack that destroyed Jackie and Shadow’s eggs, and the group has said a second clutch is still possible this season.
- Tributes from viewers and conservation partners highlighted her habitat work, including efforts to protect rare pebble plains and a threatened paintbrush flower, as the nonprofit prepares further updates.