Healthy Escapism

voices

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, I feel we are helping leave a better place than we found it. Through advocating for protection for public lands, we safeguard migration routes for animals and keep the land where it belongs: with the public.”

fact

Young Desert Horned 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

fact

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

Poker Jim Ridge

This photograph by Gary Calicott shows the vastness of the Greater Hart Sheldon Region — one of the largest intact swaths of sagebrush steppe remaining in the West.

Gary Calicott Website

Greater Sage-Grouse

Photographer Richard Eltrich captured this scene on a cold April morning before dawn.

Richard Eltrich

The exhibition also captures some beautiful, ephemeral moments from the high desert, such as an encounter with the threatened Greater Sage-Grouse during its elaborate mating ritual for which it is best known.

As Richard Eltrich, one of the photographers featured in the exhibit, shared, “We arrived at the location before dawn. Frost blanketed the sage and the sun had not cleared the hill behind the lek. As the sun rose it beautifully backlit the active grouse. Plumes of fog rose from around the birds as the coolness of the ground met the warming air.”

You don’t need to be an ONDA member to sign up, and there’s no cost to tour the exhibit. All of the images in the exhibit are also featured in our 2021 Wild Desert Calendar, which current ONDA members will receive by mail in late November. The calendar is also available for purchase on our website and at many local retailers in Central Oregon and at select locations throughout the state.

“A Year in Oregon’s High Desert” will open at 5:30 pm on November 16, 2020. You can sign up for a reminder to check out the exhibit on opening day and can visit the exhibit anytime between November 16 and January 8, 2021.

Hang the 2021 Cover in Your Home

If you love the gorgeous Mickey Basin scene that graces our 2021 calendar cover, check this out. Photographer Jim Davis has donated a signed, archival canvas, board mounted print (20 x 30" image size in a 26”x 36” frame) to ONDA and we're making it available for sale for $695. All proceeds directly support ONDA's efforts to protect, defend and restore Oregon's high desert.

Interested? Stay tuned!

Purchase Your Wild Desert Calendar

ONDA’s Wild Desert Calendar showcases the breathtaking beauty of Oregon’s high desert through a collection of stunning images generously donated by talented photographers. In addition to captivating landscapes, the calendar […]