To improve habitat resiliency and ecosystem health, ONDA offers volunteer opportunities across the high desert. Options include hosted group stewardship trips and independent stewardship projects in beautiful and iconic central and eastern Oregon locations. We encourage people of all abilities and backgrounds to participate.
Volunteer with ONDA
New trips and projects are announced twice per year, with opportunities available throughout the spring and fall seasons. Registration for Fall 2025 group stewardship trips and independent stewardship projects opens at 9:00 a.m. PDT on July 10.
Group Stewardship Trips
We lead guided, small group, multi- and single-day stewardship trips in some of Oregon’s most compelling desert landscapes. Led by experienced staff, ONDA’s group trips are a great way to get to know Oregon’s high desert, learn about conservation issues, and contribute to habitat restoration.
Trips are offered at no cost. No experience is needed, and ONDA provides all of the tools and training that volunteers need to complete the restoration work, stay safe and have fun. Participation in group stewardship trips involves varying levels of physical difficulty, and trip work sites are often in remote locations.
Independent Stewardship Projects
ONDA also offers self-guided independent stewardship projects. Designed for volunteers looking to get out on their own and give their desert adventures a higher purpose, these self-directed opportunities support important conservation or restoration objectives. Projects inform landscape protection campaigns, support efforts to enforce conservation laws, and bring restoration needs to light.
Specific assignments, training materials, maps and all of the resources needed to complete the project are provided. Volunteers can complete critical tasks individually, or with their own group, and on their own schedule. Some backcountry experience is suggested for certain projects, while others can be completed by volunteers with little to no experience.
Upcoming Trips and Projects
We rate the difficulty of each trip and project on a scale of 1 to 5 to help volunteers select a trip that is the right fit. Each level is described on our trip difficulty ratings page. Find more information on physical requirements on each trip or project page, and be sure to review our Frequently Asked Questions. Please contact Gena Goodman-Campbell, ONDA’s stewardship director, if you need special accommodations.
Registration opens on July 10.
| Dates | Difficulty | Project Title | Trip Leader | Registration |
| Sept 18-21 | 4 | Beatys Butte Fence Build (Sept) | Jefferson | Apply Now |
| Sept 26-28 | 3 | Pine Creek Spring Restoration (Sept) | Gena | Apply Now |
| Oct 2-5 | 4 | Beatys Butte Fence Build (Oct) | Jefferson | Apply Now |
| Oct 17-19 | 4 | Pine Creek Spring Restoration (Oct) | Jefferson | Apply Now |
| Oct 24 | 2 | Deschutes Canyon Group Stewardship (Oct) | Gena | Apply Now |
| Nov 7 | 2 | Deschutes Canyon Group Stewardship (Nov) | Gena | Apply Now |
| Sept-Nov | 2-4 | Deschutes Canyon Independent Stewardship | Independent | Apply Now |
