Meet Mary McCord
ONDA Volunteer Extraordinaire Over the past few years, Mary McCord went from being newly introduced to ONDA to becoming a frequent volunteer in Bend. Mary and her husband, Tom, attended an annual Wild & Scenic Film Festival event and were instantly inspired to become ONDA members. They formed a personal connection with Oregon’s high...
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Your 2019 Resolutions
Do you set resolutions for yourself to celebrate the new year? In 2019, let ONDA help you bring a bit of Oregon’s high desert into your plans for the year. ________________________________________________________________________________ GET OUTSIDE Many of us resolve to spend more time outside. Whether you’re seeking a peaceful spot for mindful reflection or you’re looking...
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Meet Lizzy Potter
A desert advocate in profession and passion An Oregonian by choice and attorney by trade, Lizzy Potter has supported ONDA for about 10 years and feels a deep connection to Oregon’s high desert, even though she lives on the west side of our state. Lizzy’s passion runs deep: “the smells of juniper, sage, and...
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Wild & Scenic Film Festival returns to Bend
Will Nepali punk rocker Sareena Rai bag a first ascent? How does renowned climber and filmmaker Renan Ozturk define success? Where is the highest concentration of National Wild & Scenic Rivers in the U.S.? Find out on October 5 at the Tower Theatre in Bend as ONDA hosts the Wild & Scenic Film Festival....
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Get into the Fremont
We hear a common refrain from people when they get back from a trip in the Fremont: “I wish I’d gone hiking in the Fremont years ago! If only I’d known about it!” If you’re not familiar with the wonders of the Fremont, please allow us to introduce you! Here are our best tips...
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Finding New Places to Love Through Stewardship and Protecting Them Through Sage Society
Aaron Tani, an ONDA member since 2016, regularly volunteers on stewardship trips and contributes monthly as part of the Sage Society. A Central Oregonian since 1986, Aaron has grown to love Oregon’s high desert for its vastness and the solitude found while exploring this landscape. Friends introduced Aaron to ONDA, and his first...
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2018 Volunteer of the Year
Meet Terry Butler. A search for information about Sutton Mountain led Terry Butler to ONDA. In 2014, he joined an ONDA stewardship trip in Logan Valley. By 2015, Terry’s volunteering repertoire had expanded to attending town halls, making phone calls, leading guided hikes, and helping out at events. He’s a central hub in our strong...
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Meet Michelle Smith and Sam Beebe
These ONDA members gave the classic American West road trip a public lands twist Inspired by a desire to see public lands across the West, Michelle Smith and Sam Beebe took a nearly 5-month and 16,000-mile road trip last year to better understand public lands and the current issues and communities around them. They...
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Going Public: Becoming a Public Land Leader
Brittany Leffel hosted a Public Land Leader gathering in December and wrote about her experience “going public”. Behind every beloved trail is a crew of stewards working to preserve the trail. Likewise, behind every wilderness area and national forest are people speaking up for our public lands. I’ve always taken pride in my...
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Species Spotlight: Mountain Mahogany
By LeeAnn Kriegh Trees live their lives on a different timescale than ours, so it helps to slow ourselves down to fully appreciate them. Certainly, a shrubby little tree like curlleaf mountain-mahogany (Cercocarpus ledifolius) isn’t going to catch our eye if we’re racing past along the trail. But take time for a closer look,...
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