Save the Date, Save the Desert!

Here is the clearing-house for all of ONDA's 2010 scheduled Volunteer Trips and Events. 

New opportunities often arise throughout the year: To keep up-to-date on opportunities with ONDA make sure you are receiving SAGEnet email updates from ONDA, and check this page regularly.

Additional information and registration links are available by clicking on any of the trips listed below.

Carpooling to ONDA trips and events is often available with ONDA staff or other participants.  Help us decrease the carbon footprint of our events!

Sage Grouse Lek Monitoring Trip #1

Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge
March 18 (Thurs.) afternoon to March 21 (Sun.) afternoon
Back by popular demand!  Have you ever seen 100 male grouse Leking? Heard coyotes howl as the sun rises over a snow-covered Steens Mountain? Join us to see what you've been missing (and find out what the heck a "Lek" is)!
Group size limited to 5 volunteers.  Click HERE for photos from previous years' trips, and HERE for additional trip details and registration links.

Revegetation on Deschutes Rim #1 in Cooperation with Trout Unlimited

"Scout Camp" near Crooked River Ranch
March 22 (Mon.)
Come celebrate the birthday of Earth Day founder John McConnell by joining forces with Trout Unlimited members to help heal the scars left by old roads which have been closed by the BLM.  We will be planting and seeding this area with native vegetation to jump-start the recovery of the area.  We also may be able to fit in a hike on the spectacular loop trail down over the edge to the river. Click HERE for photos from previous years' work parties in this area, and HERE for additional trip details and registration links.

Hardwood Tree Planting on Pine Creek Beaver Ponds

Pine Creek Conservation Area
March 26 (Friday) Evening to March 28 (Sunday) Morning
Putting the finishing touches on planting on some of the great beaver ponds on Pine Creek.  These need some nice cottonwoods to provide shade for the ponds and big material for the beavers to make sturdier dams!  Group size limited to 15 volunteers.
Click HERE for additional information and registration links.

Bridge Creek Restoration Planting

Bridge Creek, Outside Mitchell
April 2 (Friday) Evening to April 4 (Sunday) Morning
Volunteer to help plant trees to protect critical fish habitat and see how ONDA is helping to encourage beavers to restore this stream.  Group size is limited to 8 volunteers.
Click HERE for additional information and registration links.

ONDA's Annual General Meeting: Work and Party

Hancock Field Station, Clarno
April 16 (Friday) afternoon to April 18 (Sunday) evening
Always a good time.  Join us at the Hancock Field Station for a weekend of work, music and fun!  Learn more about what ONDA is doing in eastern Oregon, meet other members and help us remove fence from the Pine Creek Conservation Area. Check out photos from last year HERE. Click HERE for additional information and registration links. 

Sage Grouse Lek Monitoring Trip #2

Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge
April 22 (Thurs.) afternoon to April 25 (Sun.) afternoon
This species is under consideration for federal protection: the data we help collect will help give a clearer picture of the population's status. An incredible opportunity to celebrate Earth Day by helping to make a difference.  Group size is limited to 5 participants. Click HERE for photos from previous years' trips, and HERE for additional trip details and registration links.

Owyhee River Float Trip

Rome to Birch Creek
May 5 (Wed.) morning to May 9th (Sun.) afternoon
Join us on a float trip through this awe-inspiring landscape. Float, paddle, hike, and help lend a hand to the BLM by working on projects along the river. Group size is limited to 11 participants.  Click HERE for photos from previous years' trips, and HERE for additional trip details and registration links.

Whychus Creek Bird Hike

May 8th (Saturday)
Join ONDA for a spring ramble along this important tributary of the Deschutes River. We will be enjoying the birds, flowers and other wildlife along the way. Prepare to get wet, there is a small creek crossing on this hike! Registration required. Click HERE.

Central Oregon Wilderness Survey

Hampton Butte and Cougar Well WSAs
May 20th (Thurs.) evening to May 23rd (Sun.) Morning
Come help us gather data to document the wilderness characteristics and to help define the boundaries of these Wilderness Study Areas.  ONDA needs this information to get these areas designated, and we need your help to collect it!  Come and explore two of Central Oregon's next official Wilderness Areas! Group size is limited to 11 participants.  Click HERE for additional trip details and registration links.

Hart Mountain Raptor Nest Surveys

May 27th (Thurs.) evening to May 30th (Sun.) afternoon.
Hart Mountain NWR needs help inventorying raptor nest sites. We are looking for volunteers to assist in locating old nest sites and recording their status, identifying new nest sites and recording data about raptors that are using the nest. Raptor species we should be able to see include, red-tailed hawks, ferruginous hawks, Swainson's hawks, golden eagles, prairie falcons, northern harriers, merlins and kestrels. Hopefully we'll also get a look at some of the owl species, such as burrowing owls, long-eared owls, great-horned owls and maybe a flammulated owl if we're lucky!
Group size is limited to 8 participants.  Click HERE for additional trip details and registration links.

Upland Photo-monitoring

Pine Creek Conservation Area
June 3 (Thurs.) evening to June 6 (Sun.) morning
Come help document how the upland vegetation has changed after the removal of cows from the area.  Strong hikers with GPS skills or an interest in learning them are needed to basically go on what amounts to a backcountry GPS treasure hunt, and take photos at monitoring locations.
Limit of 5 volunteer participants
Click HERE for additional trip details and registration links.

National Trails Day Hike with the Fobbits in the Badlands

June 5
If you haven't been to the Badlands come and learn how there is more to Central Oregon's newest Wilderness than meets the eye (and find out what a Fobbit is!)
Limit of 14 participants
Click HERE for additional trip details and registration links.

National Trails Day Hike in Whychus-Deschutes Proposed Wilderness

June 5
Who knew there was such spectacular scenery hidden just north of Bend.  Come and explore the impressive Deschutes canyon with ONDA and see Central Oregon's next new Wilderness!
Limit of 14 participants
Click HERE for additional trip details and registration links.

John Day River Trip and Wilderness Survey

Twickenham to Clarno
June 10 (Thurs.) to June 13 (Sunday)
There is more Wilderness on the way!  Come see what will be Oregon's next Wilderness Area: Cathedral Rock!  Accessible only by river, this site will add a significant chunk of protected river shore-line to this spectacular section of the John Day.  Join us on this 4-day trip for hiking and documenting the area's wilderness characteristics.  Click HERE for photos from last year's float trip, and HERE for photos of the Cathedral Rock area.  For more information regarding the details of this trip please e-mail Jefferson at jjacobs@onda.org.

Backcountry Fence Survey and Mapping

Steens Mountain Wilderness
June 23 (Wed.) evening to June 27 (Sun.) morning
In order to keep up with the great work volunteer groups are doing in removing fence at the Steens, the BLM needs our help to map out more fence for future removal! Strong hikers with GPS skills or an interest in learning them are needed for this fun exploratory adventure.
Group size is limited to 11 participants.
Click HERE for additional trip details and registration links.

Hart Mountain 4th Annual "Last" Fence Pull

Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge
July 23 (Friday) evening to July 27 (Tuesday) afternoon   
I know we keep saying it: but we are nearly done pulling fence at Hart Mountain! Over 200 miles of fence removed so far! Pull fence during the day and soak up the hot-springs in the evening. Group size limited to 20 participants. Click HERE for photos from last year, or click HERE for additional trip details and registration links.

Steens Mountain Wilderness Backcountry Fence Pull

August 25 (Wed.) evening to August 30 (Mon.) afternoon
A true back-country experience: backpacking into a remote camp with Steens mountain as the backdrop. Working from our base-camp we will pull fence for three days.  On the fourth day we can explore the surrounding river valley: What a great way to celebrate the passing of the Wilderness Act! Group size limited to 11 participants. Click HERE for photos of last-year's trip, or click HERE for additional trip details and registration links.

Backcountry Fence Pull Pine Creek Conservation Area

September 9 (Thurs) evening to Sept. 12 (Sun.) afternoon
Working from our remote base-camp we will pull fence for two days, deep within the Conservation Area. Come and be inspired by the high open hills and plateaus overlooking the John Day River valley and Spring Basin Wilderness. If you are looking for "remote" this is it!
Limit 11 total participants.
Click HERE for photos of last-year's trip, or click HERE for additional trip details and registration links.

Desert Conference XXV, Washington Family Ranch

September 23rd-26th
It's back, with a vengeance. Join ONDA, The Wilderness Society, National Landscape Conservation System, Hells Canyon Preservation Council & The High Desert Committee of the Sierra Club as we tackle desert conservation, restoration, natural history and policy at this 3-day conference in the John Day Basin.

Pat's Cabin Wilderness Study Area Fence Survey and Wilderness Inventory

Oct.15th (Fri.) evening to Oct. 17th (Sun.) morning
A great to chance to explore this rarely visited corner of the John Day River Basin.  Come help us map the area using GPS, and gather information that will help us gain official Wilderness designation for the area! Group size is limited to 11 participants.  Click HERE for additional trip details and registration links.

Revegetation on Deschutes Rim #2

"Scout Camp" near Crooked River Ranch
November 6th (Saturday)
Come help heal the scars left by old roads which have been closed by the BLM.  On our final work party in this area we will be planting and seeding native vegetation to jump-start the recovery of the area.  We also may be able to fit in a hike on the spectacular loop trail down over the edge to the river. Click HERE for photos from previous years' work parties in this area, and HERE for additional trip details and registration links.