Badlands Wilderness Stewardship #4

Greg Burke   Website

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Central Oregon’s “Backyard Wilderness”

Central Oregon’s “Backyard Wilderness”

Our quest to protect the Oregon Badlands

Located just 15 miles east of Bend, Oregon Badlands is a 30,000-acre wilderness area filled with fascinating lava flows and ancient juniper trees Arriving in the Badlands, so named for its rugged and harsh terrain, can feel like stepping

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voices

Cregg Large, member since 2009

Cregg Large, member since 2009

“I came to Oregon 12 years ago from Texas. Texas, for all its size, has very little public land. Coming to Oregon has made me realize the special gift we as Americans have in our public lands. Volunteering with an organization like ONDA is my way of reciprocating for this gift. Through restoration efforts, I feel we are helping leave a better place than we found it. Through advocating for protection for public lands, we safeguard migration routes for animals and keep the land where it belongs: with the public.”

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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

Organizer: Renee Patrick

Dates: October 7, 2023, 10:00 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Region: Central Oregon

Difficulty Rating: Level 3: Challenging

Maximum Group Size: 11 participants

About the place

This project takes place on the traditional lands of the Northern Paiute, Wasco and Warm Springs people. 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.

Located just 15 miles east of Bend, the Oregon Badlands Wilderness is a 30,000-acre area containing fascinating lava flows and ancient junipers. This area was designated as wilderness in 2009, and was named for its harsh terrain and fantastic rock formations. Within this landscape, one can find incredible displays of desert wildflowers, dry river canyons, castle-like rock formations, and Native American pictographs.

About the stewardship work

In partnership with the Prineville District of the Bureau of Land Management, ONDA will lead several days of service to improve the Badlands for its human visitors and native wildlife inhabitants.

Through projects such as trail maintenance, signage improvement, and illegal vehicle route obscuring, volunteers will receive an introduction to ONDA’s stewardship and conservation programs.

These single-day experiences are a great opportunity for your first trip out with ONDA and 5 spots will be held for first-time volunteers until 3 weeks before the trip. No previous experience is needed to attend. All that is required is a love of the high desert, a big smile and a willingness to learn.

This project is funded by a Deschutes Trails Coalition Stewardship Grant.

Trip timeline

  • Saturday, October 7, 10 a.m.: Volunteers will meet at the trailhead. Most locations in the Badlands are within 30 minutes from Bend, directions to project locations will be sent out before the trip.
  • Saturday, October 7, 4 p.m.: We’ll be back at the trailhead by 4 p.m. to head back to Bend.

Difficulty

Level 3

Projects will consist of a variety of tasks, including: digging fence posts, lopping and sawing branches growing into the trail, moving rocks and debris to close illegal trails and routes, and removing trash. Volunteers can expect to spend their day hiking on uneven ground and undertaking lifting, bending, and other tasks that require a moderate level of physical exertion. For this work trip we may hike up to 7 miles on sandy soil.

Participant responsibilities

Sturdy hiking shoes/boots, long pants, and eye protection are required for this trip (sunglasses or prescription eyeglasses are suitable eye protection). Please bring work gloves if you have them. Be prepared to be away from the vehicles all day and bring a day pack for your lunch, snacks, and water, along with layers to stay comfortable. In the event of sunny and hot weather, please bring up to four liters of water capacity for the day, and consider an electrolyte replacement drink or mix to help you stay hydrated.

Gear provided

ONDA will provide all tools required for the work as well as extra work gloves and eye protection. We will bring some extra water, expert leadership and perspective on current high desert conservation priorities.

Registration

An ONDA registration application and medical form are required for this trip. 5 spots will be held for first-time volunteers until 3 weeks before the trip.

Apply now

You will receive a confirmation email within 2 weeks of submitting your form. The confirmation email will provide information regarding which trips you are on the “participant list” for, and which trips are full, and therefore you have been placed on the “wait list.”

Six weeks before the start of the trip, the trip leader will send out an RSVP to make sure everyone is still able to participate. Based on RSVPs, open spaces will be backfilled with people from the waitlist.

Three weeks before the trip start date, registered and confirmed participants will receive driving instructions, maps, and additional information in an email sent by the trip leader

If you have any questions in the meantime, please don’t hesitate to contact the trip leader.

 

Meet Your Trip Leader

This trip will be led by ONDA's Oregon Desert Trail Advisor. You can contact her at renee@onda.org.

Meet Renee

ONDA's Restoration Work

Over the last two decades, ONDA has engaged volunteers in projects to plant thousands of trees, restore dozens of miles of streams, decommission old roads and remove enough barbed wire […]

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