Species Spotlight: Quaking Aspen
by LeeAnn Kriegh The day I fell in love with Central Oregon, I woke to the sound of a quaking aspen’s leaves rustling outside my bedroom window. A breeze was stirring, and I looked out to see the leaves flashing green-silver against the white of the trunk and the blue of a cloudless sky....
Read More
Steens Rivers
Beloved Steens waterways like Kiger and Wildhorse Creeks were protected as Wild and Scenic Rivers by the Steens Act, but many others were left unprotected. Now, we have a remarkable opportunity to secure Wild and Scenic River status for other important Steens Mountain creeks – if we all speak up! You’ll learn which Steens waterways still need protection and how to use your voice to ensure...
Read More
What Wild & Scenic Looks Like
Did you know that, in addition to rivers, the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act can also protect creeks, streams and lakes? Wild and Scenic desert waters take many forms and every drop of desert water plays an important role in the desert ecosystem. From mighty salmon-bearing rivers, like the North Fork John Day, to...
Read More
20 Years of Steens Stewardship
Join us for a look back at milestones from 20 years of advocating for and restoring Steens Mountain, in a live-stream presentation led by Corinne Handelman, ONDA’s engagement manager, along with special guests photographer and frequent ONDA volunteer Sage Brown and ONDA’s program director Mark Salvo. With a history ranging from legal victories to...
Read More
#SteensWeek
ONDA is celebrating the 20th anniversary of Oregon’s first desert wilderness with #SteensWeek, a series of online events and activations starting on October 3 and running through October 9. Saturday, Oct 3 – Steens Turns 20 – On October 30, 2000, President Bill Clinton signed the Steens Mountain Cooperative Management and Protection Act of...
Read More
Summertime Strategies
Wow, it’s hot out there in the high desert! At least much of the time … not so much at night … and not every day either. (I can clearly recall July 4, 2010, when, camped out on the West Little Owyhee River, we got 4” of snow overnight and all our water was...
Read More
Signs of Summer
Across Oregon’s high desert, plants and animals spend the summer months “searching” — for shade, for water, for food, for safety from predators. Below, you’ll find a snapshot of cyclic and seasonal natural phenomena you might see taking place across Oregon’s high desert in June, July and August. We invite you to share your...
Read More
Species Spotlight – Pronghorn
A long list of charismatic animals inhabits Oregon’s high desert. Species such as the Greater Sage-grouse, bighorn sheep, cougars, burrowing owls and even the occasional black bear or wandering moose (okay, just one moose), can all be found exploring the characteristic rimrock, sagebrush, and open spaces of the state’s eastern half. In fact, many...
Read More
How Much Wilderness Do We Need?
In a recent editorial, The Bulletin asked a good question: “how much land does Oregon have that is appropriate for wilderness?” The answer is a lot. A heckuva lot. In Oregon’s high desert alone, federal surveys and volunteer-driven inventories have identified eight million acres of public lands and hundreds of miles of rivers and...
Read More
How to Identify Native Plants
By Scott Bowler Hey, what’s that cool flower? After leading wildflower discovery and identification trips for 40-plus years, I can tell you that people’s most common reaction upon encountering a new flower is: “Oh, cool! What’s that?” They want a name. In this blog post, I’ll guide you through the key steps to figuring...
Read More