Hard-working ONDA volunteers have planted thousands of trees, restored dozens of miles of streams, decommissioned old roads, and removed enough barbed wire to stretch from one end of Oregon to the other.
Their work on the ground adds volumes to our advocacy in the halls of Congress, all toward one goal: giving our deserts a voice.
Swallowtail
The Oregon Swallowtail butterfly is the official state insect of Oregon and a true native of the Pacific Northwest. The Swallowtail can be seen in the lower sagebrush canyons of the Columbia River and its tributaries, including the Snake River drainage area. Source: State Symbols USA
Latin name: Papilio oregonius
Connecting Trails
The Oregon Desert Trail ties into two National Recreation Trails: the Fremont National Recreation Trail and Desert Trail.
Oregon Desert Trail Map
Riparian restorationONDA’s riparian restoration efforts target streams with protected fish species such as redband trout and steelhead. We strive to improve fish and wildlife habitat by reestablishing conditions that encourage the return of beaver; lush stream banks and lazy meandering streams with deep, cold pools. We plant trees to help reduce erosion, lower water temperatures, and provide the food and building materials that allow beaver to move in and resume their work of constructing dams, a critical part of the long-term restoration process.
Upland restorationAcross Oregon’s desert lands, barbed wire fences fragment the landscape. Many of these fences no longer serve a purpose and interfere with the movement of native wildlife such as Greater sage-grouse, elk, deer, and antelope. By removing obsolete barbed wire fences and retrofitting needed fences with wildlife-friendly wire, our volunteers contribute to improving wildlife habitat.
Wilderness inventoryWilderness inventory volunteers collect critical information that helps ONDA document the conditions found in proposed wilderness areas. Participants collect GPS referenced photos to demonstrate that the area meets the requirements of wilderness: naturalness, opportunities for solitude and primitive recreation, and scenic and wildlife value. Through these inventories, our enthusiastic volunteers have added millions of acres to the list of areas suitable for wilderness designation.
Wildlife monitoringWildlife survey volunteers help to monitor Greater sage-grouse leks or other sensitive species such as raptors and mule deer. Trips are conducted in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and provide high-quality data that is used by these agencies in the management of candidate species for federal protection.
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. How It […]
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