Beatys Butte Fence Build (May)

About the place

Oregon’s high desert is the homeland of a diversity of Indigenous people, including the Northern Paiute, Shoshone, Bannock, Wasco, Warm Springs, Yahooskin, Cayuse, Walla Walla and Umatilla peoples organized within several Tribes. These include the Burns Paiute Tribe, Fort McDermitt Paiute and Shoshone Tribes, Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation, Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Indian Reservation, the Klamath Tribes, the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation and others.

Beatys Butte is an integral part of the vital land between the Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge in south-central Oregon and the Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge in northern Nevada. This region is one of the largest intact swaths of sagebrush steppe remaining in the West. Beatys Butte is exceptionally rich with wildlife. The small springs and associated wetland habitat found here provides critical food resources to the wildlife in the area. This trip will take place on the 400-acre North Springs conservation property owned by the Oregon Desert Land Trust (ODLT).

About the stewardship work

This trip will continue the construction of a wildlife-friendly fence around a portion of the North Springs property where ONDA is working to restore sensitive springs and wetland areas, and to protect this vital habitat from the impacts of livestock grazing. The work each day will involve hiking to the project location, pounding in t-posts, carrying heavy spools of wire and other tools, clipping wire to t-posts, and hanging reflective flagging from the wire.

Trip timeline

• Thursday, May 15, 4-6 p.m.: Meet at the primitive campsite to set up camp and have dinner. After dinner, we’ll have an orientation about the upcoming work.
• Friday, May 16 and Saturday, May 17, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.: Two full work days away from camp with plenty of tasks to choose from are planned, all while chatting and enjoying wide open views. After work each day, we’ll return to camp to rest, cook and explore.
• Sunday, May 18, 8 am: No work is planned. After breakfast, we will pack up camp and head home.

Camp

We will be car-camping near the work site at an undeveloped location with no running water or facilities, just wide open sagebrush steppe. The access road is an unmaintained dirt road, but a high clearance four-wheel drive vehicle is not required. Low-clearance vehicles, driven carefully, will suffice.

Difficulty

Level 4

The physical demands of this trip will be strenuous, with a lot of off-trail hiking and physically-demanding tasks such as carrying heavy materials. Less strenuous tasks like clipping wire and installing flagging are also offered, and there will be opportunities to rest and work at your own pace.

Participant responsibilities

Participants are responsible for their own food, water, camping gear, and transportation. Sturdy, off-trail, ankle-high boots are required. We recommend bringing your own work gloves to provide a comfortable fit, but it is not required. Potable water is not available at the campsite, and volunteers will need to bring enough water for drinking and cooking to last for the duration of the trip.

Gear provided

ONDA will provide all training, tools and materials required for the work, extra safety equipment such as work gloves and eye protection, and excellent guidance in the field. ONDA will also provide some group camping equipment such as pop-up shade/rain tents, extra tables and chairs, and a latrine.

Registration

An ONDA registration application and medical form are required for this trip. Check the box next to each trip you would like to attend.

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.