The Eagle Lady

From Minnesota to the Spit

Jean came to Alaska as a former rodeo queen in 1977, relocating from Aitkin, Minnesota to Homer. Her mobile home became a permanent feature in the campground over the years, with a small, well-decorated fence around her site. During the summer months she cultivated beautiful gardens around her home at the campground — but it was her winter habits that made her famous.

The Feedings

Soon after her arrival in Homer, while employed at a seafood plant, Jean was given permission to gather surplus and freezer-burned fish for a pair of eagles that lived near her home. Over the next 10 years, the number of eagles that gathered for the daily feedings grew from 2 to over 200.

To feed the increasing number of eagles, Jean would collect hundreds of pounds of wasted fish, which she then chopped into smaller chunks for easier distribution and consumption. Fans of Jean and the eagles could drive out the mostly deserted winter Spit to take in the sight of the feedings. However, spectacular as they were, they were not without controversy.

Controversy & Legacy

Concern was raised by environmentalists about the potential costs such a concentration of eagles could have on the population and surrounding habitat, as well as the danger associated with familiarizing eagles with human interaction. In response, in 2006, the City of Homer banned the practice of deliberately feeding eagles. They granted Jean a four-year exemption so that she may slowly stop feeding them at her home.

Unfortunately, Jean passed away before her time ran out.

Her Memory Lives On

Jean was known around the world for her spunk, generosity, and of course, her famous flock. The campground preserves her memory with two Beach View sites named Jean Keene (JK) and Eagle Lady (EL) — in the very spot that was once her home.