Meet Mary Powell
Author: Allison Crotty | Published: February 2, 2022 | Category: Profile ONDA’s 2021 Alice Elshoff Award Recipient Mary Powell is a woman of many talents. Need to spruce up an […]
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Meet Mary Powell
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Great Horned Owls and Western Screech Owls
Great Horned Owls and Western Screech Owls
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Terry Butler, 2018 Volunteer of the Year
Terry Butler, 2018 Volunteer of the Year
“If I have to pick a favorite place in Oregon’s high desert, it would be Sutton Mountain, but I’m excited about all of the Wilderness Study Areas,” says Terry, adding, “Each is a gem to explore, and I hope they all get protection someday… I love the scale of the physical beauty of the desert.”
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Craig Terry, ONDA member and stewardship volunteer
Craig Terry, ONDA member and stewardship volunteer
“The people I have had the privilege to share time with each season keep me volunteering again and again. Who else but those ONDA staff leaders would make fresh coffee at dawn each morning or pack a watermelon all day to serve as a reward under a juniper in a steep canyon?” Craig, who grew up in northwestern Nevada, says ONDA connects him with places he loves and a mission he believes in. “My grandfather and his father put up wire fences for their ranching needs. Taking out barbed wire sort of completes a circle for me.”
Having stood shoulder-to-shoulder working with Mary at many busy ONDA events, I am delighted to see her recognized with this lifetime achievement award. Mary’s kindness, upbeat energy, can-do spirit, and relentless commitment to conservation are beyond compare.
ONDA established the Elshoff Award in 2008 to honor individuals who embody ONDA’s conservation values, and to celebrate their significant contributions to protecting Oregon’s desert wilderness.
About being named the 2021 Alice Elshoff Conservation Award recipient, Mary said, “ONDA has always been near and dear to our hearts, and we never expected anything in return. The chance to help ONDA has been award enough. I am so deeply honored.”
If you haven’t already met Mary while monitoring sage-grouse, harvesting native plants, or at the Wild and Scenic Film Festival, you can get to know her and learn her reasons for supporting conservation in Oregon’s high desert in this short video produced by ONDA in 2020.
In this video, Mary describes the ONDA community as “family” and shares her appreciation for all the people she’s met and things she’s learned while volunteering with ONDA.
Well, the feeling is mutual Mary! Thank you for your many whole-hearted contributions to our community.
A Love Story: Mary Powell & Harv Hillis
Author: Lace Thornberg | Published: September 28, 2021 | Category: Profile Many people contribute their time, talent and passion to make desert conservation successful. Today, we introduce you to two […]
Read More2024 Stewardship Trips and Projects
Ready to get out into the desert and give it some care? Oregon Natural Desert Association would love to see you on one of the dozens of stewardship trips and […]
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