Species Spotlight: Black Cottonwood
Where There’s Cottonwood, There’s Water. We recommend listening to this Cottonwood Canyon Riparian Soundscape while you read this Species Spotlight. At the new Riley Ranch Nature Reserve in Bend, a friend pointed into the distance and said, “Huh, looks like there’s water over that rise.” We couldn’t actually see any water, so how did...
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Desert Naturalist Hike Series
Discover the stories that lie hidden in the desert sagebrush on a hike with the Oregon Natural Desert Association. All are welcome but hike space is limited and pre-registration is required. See more information below. Complete trip details are provided upon registration. You can find all of the hikes coordinated by ONDA on the GUIDED HIKE tab of...
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Sarah Graham, Sage Society Member
“I contribute to ONDA monthly because it adds up to a larger annual gift than what I’d be able to comfortably afford if I were to do a simple one-time donation annually. I’m able to give more to ONDA this way and have greater impact which is important to me, and my dog Polly.”
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Species Spotlight: Mountain Mahogany
By LeeAnn Kriegh Trees live their lives on a different timescale than ours, so it helps to slow ourselves down to fully appreciate them. Certainly, a shrubby little tree like curlleaf mountain-mahogany (Cercocarpus ledifolius) isn’t going to catch our eye if we’re racing past along the trail. But take time for a closer look,...
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Ten Winter Adventures in the High Desert
Five for No Snow, Five for Snow. Winter in Oregon’s high desert can look and be quite different from one year to the next. In winter 2017, copious snowfall covered much of the sagebrush sea with feet of fun for skiers and snowshoers. The 2018 winter season lent itself more to hiking than snow...
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Cregg Large, member since 2009
“I came to Oregon 12 years ago from Texas. Texas, for all its size, has very little public land. Coming to Oregon has made me realize the special gift we as Americans have in our public lands. Volunteering with an organization like ONDA is my way of reciprocating for this gift. Through restoration efforts,...
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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
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Young Horny Toad Lizard
In the summer these lizards begin foraging for food as soon as their body temperature rises as the heat of the day increases. They feed on slow-moving, ground-dwelling insects. In the fall they hibernate by burying themselves in the sand. Latin name: Phrysonoma platyrhinos
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