Category: Profile
Meet ONDA members, volunteers and partners.
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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Q&A with ONDA’s new executive director
Over the course of two decades in the nonprofit sector, Ryan Houston has developed a reputation as a committed and effective leader in Oregon conservation, well known for strategic vision and a dedication to collaboration. We’re thrilled to welcome him as Oregon Natural Desert Association’s third executive director and we’ve pulled together a few...
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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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Meet Mac Lacy
ONDA has protected millions of acres of public land throughout Oregon as a result of winning or successfully settling more than 85 percent of our federal actions since 2001. We hope this Q&A helps you get to know Mac Lacy, our senior attorney, and to understand the important role he plays at ONDA. You’ll even...
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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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Soundscapes
ONDA Volunteer John Hartog Tells High Desert Stories Through Sounds, Not Words. By John Dulzo Oregon Natural Desert Association volunteers are as diverse as the land they work so hard to protect. Here is a story about one of our most active volunteers who brings his audio artistry to his high desert devotion. Read...
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Getting inspired, getting involved
Bend resident Sarah Graham has long cherished the outdoors. But this past year inspired her to become active to help protect public lands, aiming to ensure they continue to belong to all Americans. Here, she shares her story. The story of how my husband and I came to be Bendites is a common tale....
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