Gateway Women’s Club

GINNIE PRITCHETT MCSPADDEN

GINNIE PRITCHETT MC SPADDEN, NESTING BALD EAGLES AND THE GATEWAY WOMEN’S CLUB

STEPHANIE MENA

Ms. Ginnie Pritchett McSpadden, co-founder of the SWFL Eagle Cam, shared its backstory at a recent Gateway Women’s Club meeting. “My siblings and I started watching Bald Eagles when Harriet first appeared on the Pritchett McSpadden property in the 1990s with her original mate, Ozzie. Since then, the Eagles have become the subject of a popular nation-wide live-streaming webcam showcasing the lives of the eagles, including raising young, fighting intruders, and rebuilding the nest after storms like Hurricane Ian.”

Eagle cameras are located on her grandfather’s property in North Ft. Myers. American Bald Eagles mate for life, but when Ozzie passed away in 2015, Harriet later bonded with M15. The nest they built and the Eaglets they raised had to be shared with the public. A live feed was established in 2012. Ms. Pritchett McSpadden and her sibling began to show the nesting Bald Eagles to the rest of the world.

Ms. Pritchett McSpadden obtained her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Central Florida in Orlando, FL. She launched her career at NASCAR, supporting the media outreach for all three national racing series, planning sponsorship marketing events and media tours all while overseeing at-track media opportunities. Currently she serves as the Senior Account Supervisor at Norris Sports Group, a Naples based sports marketing company.

Beyond her corporate career, Ms. Pritchett McSpadden is the visionary behind the Southwest Florida Eagle Cam— a passion project that became a global phenomenon. She also authored two children’s books. “A Day with Harriet” and “Harriet’s Next Adventure” were inspired by the beloved Bald Eagle pair and their daily adventures— blending conservation, storytelling, and community engagement. Ms. Pritchett McSpadden believes the ever-evolving Eagle Cam should Entertain, Engage and Educate.

When she’s not producing national events or supporting clients, she’s fully in mom-mode, spending time with her husband, and two young children. She finds joy in travel, golf, reading, fitness, and anything that gets her outdoors.

At the start, the Eagle Cam drew more than 55 million viewers. It was the beginning of a love story between the Eagles and us. The names made them household friends, almost pets. They are not. They are untamed birds of nature. To avoid repeating this, the names became less informal. Today, we have an Eaglet in the nest named E26. We can watch it grow under the guidance of parents F23 and M15.

Today, the Eagle cam has had more than 222 million views from nearly every nation in the world. Teachers worldwide use the camera’s footage in lessons about Bald Eagles and how America’s national bird lives.

The Pritchett family runs the Southwest Florida Eagle Cam Foundation. Donations are accepted to help defray the cost of keeping the live streams running strong and support wildlife conservation programs.

The Bald Eagle is the national bird and emblem of the United States, officially adopted in 1782. Eagles represent freedom, strength, courage, and independence. Ms. Pritchett McSpadden may be seen as their Floridan guardian. Log on to the live cameras 24/7 at https://dickpritchettrealeaste.com/