fact
Swallowtail
Swallowtail
The Oregon Swallowtail butterfly is the official state insect of Oregon and a true native of the Pacific Northwest. The Swallowtail can be seen in the lower sagebrush canyons of the Columbia River and its tributaries, including the Snake River drainage area. Source: State Symbols USA
Latin name: Papilio oregonius
listen
South Fork Crooked River and Birds
South Fork Crooked River and Birds
voices
Carl Axelsen, member since 1999
Carl Axelsen, member since 1999
You folks at ONDA really have your stuff together. Such a well-planned opportunity to comment, since figuring out how to connect with the gummint is off-putting. You make it work for me.
Welcome to Oregon's High Desert
With natural beauty, abundant solitude, ample recreational opportunities, significant cultural touchstones, and a wide array of plants and wildlife, Oregon’s high desert is truly world-class. Even more remarkable, much of Oregon’s desert is public land, owned by all Americans equally.
Come, explore the desert alongside Oregon Natural Desert Association and see for yourself how unique and wild this place is.
Caring for the Desert We Love
Oregon Natural Desert Association encourages people to get to know the desert and to take steps to conserve these public lands. Our community defends public lands from threats, partners with public and private land managers to preserve natural values, encourages the exploration of wild places, and restores lands and waters to give desert creatures places in which to thrive.
Land Acknowledgment
ONDA’s conservation work takes place on the traditional lands of the Northern Paiute, Wasco and Warm Springs people and on lands currently managed by the Burns Paiute Tribe and the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs. Many Indigenous peoples live in Oregon’s high desert region today, including members of the Burns Paiute Tribe, the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs (Wasco, Warm Springs and Paiute), the Klamath Tribes (Klamath, Modoc and Yahooskin) and the Fort McDermitt Paiute and Shoshone Tribe.
The Voice of the Desert
With more than 10,000 members and supporters, ONDA is the only conservation organization dedicated exclusively to preserving Oregon’s high desert.
Our dream? We envision a high desert in Oregon where eight million acres of public lands are conserved to ensure that fish and wildlife thrive and wild places exist for all people to treasure and explore, now and always.
Events and Volunteer Opportunities
Looking to get to know this desert and this community better? Check out ONDA’s event calendar! Our events and stewardship trips have changed shape since 2020, but the same great learning opportunities remain. Sign up for our email updates to find out what’s coming up.