Restoring Lands and Waters

Connecting People to the Desert

ONDA engages the public in our work to improve the health of desert ecosystems. This people-centric restoration approach builds connections and grows our community of conservation advocates through hands-on work.

Volunteers

Every year, we engage hundreds of volunteers in meaningful restoration, stewardship and monitoring projects in the most important habitats across Oregon’s high desert. We lead guided, small group, multi-day service trips in some of Oregon’s most remote and beautiful landscapes.

Visit our stewardship trips page to find the full calendar and detailed descriptions of our current volunteer trip offerings. You’ll find we also offer self-guided independent stewardship projects for volunteers looking to get out on their own and contribute to critical projects to support healthy desert habitats, without joining an organized trip.

We encourage people of all ability levels and backgrounds to get out with us to take part in our hands-on stewardship work and deepen their relationship with Oregon’s high desert. All trips are free and no experience is required. ONDA provides all of the tools, equipment and training necessary for the project.

Tribal Stewards

We launched our Tribal Stewards program in 2019 to provide paid opportunities for tribal youth to work on restoration projects and gain experience in conservation and stewardship career paths. The goal of this program is to support emerging conservation leaders in tribal communities while completing projects to improve ecosystem health in Oregon’s high desert.

ONDA improves fish and wildlife habitat in key locations across Oregon’s high desert where climate change, drought and extractive human uses have diminished ecosystem health. Our strategic, science-based projects address these issues and support the recovery of hundreds of species including desert icons such as sage-grouse, steelhead and pronghorn.

Learn more about the types of stewardship and restoration work ONDA does. 

What We’ve Accomplished

Alongside thousands of volunteers, ONDA has made significant, measurable improvements to the health and vitality of Oregon’s lands, waters and wildlife. Highlights from the last decade include:

• Over 115,000 trees planted
• 34 miles of obsolete barbed wire fence removed
• 78 miles of fence retrofitted to be safer for wildlife
• 130 Beaver Dam Analogues installed
• 90 miles of trail monitored

In our Restoring Oregon’s Desert Landscapes Story Map, you can get a closer look at the areas we work in, watch our beaver dam building raise water levels and check out the impressive tally of work this community has accomplished.