Oregon Natural Desert Association’s independent stewardship projects offers volunteers a self-directed option for promoting a healthy high desert in addition to our structured option of guided stewardship trips.
Independent Stewards
David Hanson
success
Oregon’s first desert wilderness
Oregon’s first desert wilderness
Steens Mountain: Oregon’s first desert wilderness
On October 30, 2000, Congress passed the Steens Mountain Cooperative Management and Protection Act, finishing the work that had taken ONDA and the other members of the Steens-Alvord Coalition decades
Steens Mountain is a land of startling contrasts: dramatic u-shaped
Read Morewatch
Sage-grouse Mating Dance
Sage-grouse Mating Dance
voices
Jane Heisler, Sage Sustainers Member
Jane Heisler, Sage Sustainers Member
I love to travel and I love the desert! Supporting ONDA monthly allows me to hit the road without forgetting Oregon’s high desert—even when I’m not there.
How It Works
ONDA provides assignments and resources. Volunteers learn new skills and complete critical tasks on their own while giving their high desert adventures an elevated purpose. Stewards receive guidance from ONDA, but are primarily self-directed.
Why It Helps
Independent stewards are critical players in completing stewardship work in the high desert, and perhaps even bringing new stewardship needs to light as they explore Oregon’s dry side with a trained eye. The work our volunteers complete across eastern Oregon informs our conservation and legal work and underpins our ongoing commitment to protect, defend, and restore the high desert.
Find A Project
Ready to get out into the desert and give it some care? Visit ONDA’s stewardship trips page to learn more about current independent project offerings.
See The Impact
Independent stewards are critical players in completing desert restoration projects, and bringing new maintenance needs to light as they explore Oregon’s dry side with a trained eye.
This story map highlights work independent stewards have completed recently:
Scenes from Independent Stewards
Subscribe to ONDA’s E-News to hear about new projects and opportunities as they become available throughout the year and watch for new opportunities at the start of each year.