Bob Mackie, Dolly Parton, Jackie the eagle… we’ve truly lost the greatest of fine-feathered icons these past weeks. Of the three, no one showed off their plumage as naturally as Jackie, being a genuine Haliaeetus leucocephalus and all. Though she was the first of this trio to leave us, the tributes are still pouring in for Jackie — as they should! In Big Bear Valley, California, flowers and other memorial tokens have steadily amassed in Fawn Park, a private park in Fawnskin near Jackie’s nest. Then last Saturday, the park held an official Remembering Jackie event, where not only was the park renamed in her honor (supposably), but a life-size, chainsaw-carved statue of Jackie was unveiled as a new permanent fixture. A poignant reminder that Jackie may be gone, but she’ll forever be there in effigy!
Jackie fans gathered over the weekend for the unveiling of a new statue dedicated to the late Big Bear bald eagle at a privately owned park in Fawnskin.
A life-size carving of Jackie can now be seen at Fawnskin Freedom Park, formerly Fawn Park, which was renamed in her honor.
“The bald eagle is the United States symbol of power and greatness,” the park’s owner, Mike Wayman, told The Sun.
The memorial isn’t affiliated with the nonprofit Friends of Big Bear Valley, which operates the live eagle camera that featured Jackie and her mate, Shadow.
The artist who created the statue, Paul Waclo, lives in Pennsylvania but said he had heard about Jackie. He said it was an honor to create this tribute to the bald eagle.
Carved with chainsaws, the statue depicts Jackie in a landing pose with a fish in her talons, mounted over a water feature.
“I really like to carve the eagle. I try to get more emotion in it, I try to get more movement in the wings,” Waco said.
“I have close to 20 different chainsaws, saws that are 42-inches long down to bars that are 6 inches long,” he continued.
Waclo said he had to get this one right, because the weight of what Jackie meant to so many is immeasurable.
Jackie became one of the most recognizable bald eagles in North America, with people watching her and her mate Shadow through years of nesting seasons, raising their young eaglets, severe winter storms and successful eaglet fledging.
The event Saturday was part of a two-day celebration honoring the beloved eagle, which included the park renaming ceremony, as the community continues to mourn her loss.
This is such a lovely gesture, I’ll overlook the stretched thin logic of “Fawnskin Freedom Park” somehow counting as “renamed in Jackie’s honor.” Artist Paul Waclo’s work is incredible; not only in the craftsmanship, but in the sheer fact that he can safely and beautifully operate 20 chainsaws. Obviously not 20 at the same time, but still. The carnage I would wreak if I took up a chainsaw as my paintbrush would be gruesome. If you’re bummed you missed out on a memorial for Jackie, don’t worry! This Saturday, October 3, Friends of Big Bear Valley and other local organizations are holding a special Wings Over Big Bear ceremony to commemorate and celebrate the life of this singular eagle. The event is being held at Bear Mountain Ski Resort and will start at 10am PST. Not local? Still no cause to worry! The folks who’ve been charming us for 10 years with the eagle nest cam will absolutely be livestreaming the ceremony, starting at 9:30am PST. Thank you to FOBBV and all the other organizers for inviting the whole world to partake in honoring Jackie. I will be there (remotely), and I hope to see you there as well!
OK fine, you got me: I’m also a petty bitch who’ll have my eagle eyes out to see if Shadow, Jackie’s partner of a decade, will show his bald head. Because yes, Shadow is still flying around with his new, younger sidechick Kaydee! They’re sleeping together overnight in the Roost Tree, sharing branches on the Twin Pines, and still CHORTLING, day and night, apparently. It makes me so beaking mad.
Jackie was a star. I love your animal stories.