Stewardship Trips

Feel like getting your hands dirty to keep the high desert healthy and thriving? You’ve come to the right place!
Oregon Natural Desert Association’s stewardship trips provide an incredible opportunity to help the wild lands and wildlife you love. Volunteer today!

listen

Great Horned Owls and Western Screech Owls

Great Horned Owls and Western Screech Owls

watch

The Last Darkness

The Last Darkness

voices

Bonnie Olin, 2017 Volunteer of the Year

Bonnie Olin, 2017 Volunteer of the Year

“If you spend enough time in the wild, it will change you. So it was for me in Oregon’s high desert, especially in the Owyhee Canyonlands.” To support ONDA, Bonnie says, is to strive to protect the very values of Oregon’s high desert that are critical to the human experience: quiet and connectedness with nature. “Oregon’s desert,” she says, “broadens your understanding of your relationship to all living things.”

2020 Trip Schedule

UPDATE: As much as we want to be out in Oregon’s high desert working to improve vital fish and wildlife habitat, now is not the time to do so. We are following Governor Brown’s guidelines and looking forward to resuming stewardship trips as soon as practicable. While we are still accepting registrations, know that trips may — or may not — proceed. Registered participants can expect to hear from your trip leader with a final decision about whether each trip will run two weeks before the start date of that trip. Trips listed as postponed intend to be rescheduled once we can confirm dates with our agency partners.

In the meantime, here is our commitment to you: we will continue to evolve our plans so that we are ready to hit the ground running with blow-your-mind-amazing trips if you promise to do your part to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

Dates Trip Name Region Leader Difficulty
Postponed Denny Jones Ranch Restoration #1 Malheur River Basin Beth Macinko 3
Postponed West Summit Creek Planting Malheur River Basin Beth Macinko 3
September 17-20 South Fork WSA Fence Build #3 South Fork Crooked River Watershed Beth Macinko 5
September 17-20 Fremont National Recreation Trail Work along Oregon Desert Trail Hart Sheldon Renee Patrick 3
September 21-24 Denny Jones Ranch Restoration #2 Malheur River Basin Beth Macinko 3
September 24-27 Hay Creek Riparian Planting #1 John Day Watershed Jefferson Jacobs 3
October 5-8 John Day Fossil Beds Fence Retrofit John Day Watershed Beth Macinko 4
October 8-11 Hay Creek Riparian Planting #2 John Day Watershed Jefferson Jacobs 3
October 13 Badlands Wilderness Stewardship #6 Central Oregon Beth Macinko 3
October 19-22 Denny Jones Ranch Restoration #3 Malheur River Basin Beth Macinko 3
November 9-12 Malheur Refuge Fence Pull Malheur Lake Basin Beth Macinko 3
November 17 Badlands Wilderness Stewardship #7 Central Oregon Beth Macinko 3
December 8 Badlands Wilderness Stewardship #8 Central Oregon Beth Macinko 3

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Are you taking part in one of ONDA’s stewardship trips, or thinking about it? Here are some answers to frequently asked questions.   How much does it cost to volunteer? While it is free to volunteer, ONDA collects a refundable $25 deposit to ensure those who register actually participate on our projects. After each...

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Sage Brown   Website

Independent Stewards

Oregon Natural Desert Association’s Independent Stewards program offers volunteers a self-directed option for promoting a healthy high desert in addition to our structured option of guided stewardship trips. ONDA provides participants with resources and specific assignments; they learn new skills and complete critical tasks while giving their high desert adventures an elevated purpose.

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Trip Difficulty Ratings

Oregon Natural Desert Association created these trip difficulty ratings at the request of past and prospective trip participants to help them compare our trip options, and judge which trip is right for them at the time.

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Volunteer T-Shirts for Sale

Show your commitment to the high desert with one of our new volunteer t-shirts. With four fun designs and five colors from which to choose, you are sure to find one you'll love. A portion of each sale benefits our stewardship program.

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Scenes from 2019 Stewardship Trips

Volunteering on an ONDA stewardship offers you a whole new perspective on the wonders of Oregon’s high desert.

Up in the predawn light to monitor a sage-grouse lek

Darin Swanson

Lunch breaks with expansive views

Mark Darnell

Clearing trails to keep hikers safe

Michele Patrick

Goofing around in the mid-day summer sun

Lisa Foster

Learning new skills and working together

Elizabeth McLagen

Join, Renew, or Give a Gift

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Sage Society Membership

Live your values and stand up for Oregon’s desert public lands, waterways, and wildlife when you donate to Oregon Natural Desert Association each month. Sage Society members propel critical conservation efforts alongside a dynamic community of advocates. And, as a monthly donor, your membership won’t expire. If you want to increase your existing monthly donation, […]

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