The Power in Speaking Up Together

Renee Patrick

Author: Lace Thornberg | Published: June 14, 2022 | Category: In the News 

Anyone who cares about climate change, biodiversity loss and other environmental issues will at times feel overwhelmed. When you feel like you are shouting into the wind, it can be reassuring to know that you are not alone. In your community, in your state, across the country, and around the world, many people care just as deeply about these issues as you do. 

We know this thanks to the people who are willing to join conservation organizations like ONDA, write letters to the editor, testify before Congress, and share their stories publicly in various ways. 

Sharing your environmental concerns and values publicly involves some vulnerability for everyone, but, for some of us, putting ourselves out there as conservationists also comes mixed with an extra layer of identity politics to overcome. 

As Emmeline Wang describes, in Tread Lightly, “If preserving the lands we love is of the utmost importance, staying silent and working as individuals is not an option. There are a multitude of systemic injustices, acts of violence and events that engender fear inside me as an Asian-American woman, but if stewardship stands at the forefront of immediate priorities, it’s time to stand up.”

This month, as we celebrate Pride and Juneteenth, we want to focus on sharing some inspiring stories about and by LGBTQIA+ and Black environmentalists who are working hard to see that the natural world is protected and preserved and can be enjoyed by everyone. 

Articles

Videos

Books

We hope the commitment, bravery, joy and perseverance reflected in these stories inspires you to be a strong advocate for the desert public lands you love.

voices

Craig Terry, ONDA member and stewardship volunteer

Craig Terry, ONDA member and stewardship volunteer

“The people I have had the privilege to share time with each season keep me volunteering again and again. Who else but those ONDA staff leaders would make fresh coffee at dawn each morning or pack a watermelon all day to serve as a reward under a juniper in a steep canyon?” Craig, who grew up in northwestern Nevada, says ONDA connects him with places he loves and a mission he believes in. “My grandfather and his father put up wire fences for their ranching needs. Taking out barbed wire sort of completes a circle for me.”

voices

Scott Bowler, ONDA member from Portland

Scott Bowler, ONDA member from Portland

“The desert speaks for itself, but very softly. I support ONDA to promote and enable discovery of the amazing beauty and recreational opportunities of the high desert by much broader groups of people; and most especially to protect forever the full and diverse landscape of the Owyhee Canyonlands, a place without parallel or equal in our country.”

fact

Far from Big Macs

Far from Big Macs

There is a point in the Owyhee region, in northwestern Nevada, that is, at 115 miles away, as far away as you can get from a McDonalds in the U.S.

Source: http://www.datapointed.net/2010/09/distance-to-nearest-mcdonalds-sept-2010

Take Action

Speak up for Oregon’s high desert. Oregon’s high desert public lands, waters, wildlife and communities are irreplaceable. With threats to conservation escalating, the time to act is now. Your advocacy […]

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Our Vision, Mission and Values

Vision We envision a high desert in Oregon where eight million acres of public lands are conserved to ensure that fish and wildlife thrive and wild places exist for all […]

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