Author: Claire Cekander | Published: October 23, 2026 | Category: Profile
This article originally appeared in the Fall + Winter 2026 Desert Ramblings Newsletter.
Mike Greenstreet calls Olympia, WA home, but living out of state hasn’t changed his connection to Oregon’s high desert.
Mike was born in Ontario, Oregon in 1950 and believes those first scented days of sagebrush and juniper hooked him on the desert for life. Although two years later his family moved to the Eugene-Springfield area, eastern Oregon remained a favorite place. “Being outdoors was just part of life,” Mike says as he recounts a childhood filled with outdoor adventures.
Today, retirement and access to vacation rentals make weeklong desert trips easy, even from Olympia. Mitchell, Oregon has become a favorite place where there are so many areas to visit: Spring Basin Wilderness, Cottonwood Canyon State Park, Sutton Mountain, Painted Hills, Lookout Mountain, and Black Canyon Wilderness.
Mike appreciates the many ways ONDA connects people to the high desert, including the hiking guides that inspire new adventures and the educational programs. ONDA’s High Desert Speaker Series, especially the 2026 event about beavers, reminded him of his solo journeys into the Pueblo Mountains to watch beavers.
Most of all, he values ONDA’s work conserving the landscapes he has loved for decades, especially the streams, willows, and streamside areas that support wildlife. “I look back and think at every stage of life I’ve been out in the desert doing something. I’ve been fly fishing on the Deschutes forever, skiing in desert country where most people don’t think about skiing, backpacking, and more.”