Danville School Wins Award and Vegan Ice Cream Party for Protecting Bald Eagle Habitat
For Immediate Release:
May 28, 2026
Contact:
Sara Groves 202-483-7382
In recognition of the teachers and students at John Baldwin Elementary School in Danville for rallying support and raising funds to help save the habitat of Jackie and Shadow, a pair of bald eagles who live in Big Bear Valley, TeachKind—PETA’s humane education division—will deliver A Guardians of the Eagles Award and vegan ice cream party to the entire student body and staff on Monday.
Where: John Baldwin Elementary School, 741 Brookside Drive, Danville
When: Monday, June 1, 9:30 a.m.
Students first connected with the eagles through science teacher Sara Stinson, who used the 24-hour live feed to teach about life cycles, watching Jackie and Shadow build their nest, lay eggs, and raise their chicks. When Stinson learned the eagles’ foraging area was threatened by development, she shared the news with students—who immediately asked what they could do to help. Teacher Nancy McCaul saw an opportunity to channel their concern into a persuasive writing unit, guiding students to write letters urging community members and celebrities to support the habitat conservation. Students also launched fundraising initiatives, from bake sales and lemonade stands to creating bald eagle origami and walking downtown Danville with informational posters.
“Compassion is soaring to new heights at John Baldwin Elementary School, where dedicated teachers and their students are protecting Jackie and Shadow’s home and proving they can make a powerful difference in animals’ lives,” says PETA Senior Vice President Colleen O’Brien. “Their efforts will help ensure these eagles and their eaglets can thrive, and TeachKind salutes them for setting a shining example for school communities everywhere.”
Bald eagles—the national bird of the United States—mate for life, build massive nests that can weigh up to a ton, and are devoted parents who care for their young together.
TeachKind plans to continue partnering with John Baldwin Elementary School, providing additional humane education resources to support the curriculum for the next school year.
PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information about PETA’s humane education resources, please visit TeachKind.org or follow TeachKind on Facebook and Instagram.
