Many people do not realize that deserts are full of life. Oregon’s high desert supports a remarkable diversity of plants and animals, including many unique and endangered species.
Protecting Native Fish and Wildlife
Devlin Holloway
listen
Western Meadowlark Dawn Chorus
Western Meadowlark Dawn Chorus
watch
Sage Steppes
Sage Steppes
voices
Elisa Cheng, member since 2013
Elisa Cheng, member since 2013
“ONDA stewardship trips inspire me. I get to learn new things and see new places, and in the process perform important work that improves the wildlife habitat.”
The greater sage-grouse, pygmy rabbit, sage thrasher, and pronghorn antelope all thrive in a healthy sagebrush steppe ecosystem. Eastern Oregon’s lakes, rivers, and streams attract tens of thousands of migrating birds, including sandhill cranes, pelicans, and tundra swans, while native fish, such as Chinook salmon, steelhead, and redband and bull trout flourish in Oregon’s desert rivers.
These fragile desert lands and rivers are threatened by changes in climate, improper livestock grazing, off-road vehicle use, mining, and road building. Loss of habitat and other human activities have pushed many of these desert species toward extinction.
Each of ONDA’s primary programs works to ensure that these fragile species and the ecosystems that they depend on for survival are protected and home to healthy and diverse populations of fish and wildlife.