Author: Mateo Reynaud | Published: December 2, 2025 | Category: A Conversation With
Reflections on volunteer engagement from Mateo Reynaud, ONDA’s 2025 Fall Hillis Intern
To me, the most rewarding part of planning an event is witnessing it come alive. What starts as an idea becomes a living thing, unique to the particular combination of people in the room, a sort of magic. People fill in the gaps to turn a date on the calendar into a memory, to make a space a community. That was the case at Portland’s 2025 High Desert Hootenanny, an event Oregon Natural Desert Association puts together annually to celebrate your conservation and restoration achievements.
The Hootenanny was bustling with people, despite it being a damp November evening. Friends, old and new, swapped hugs and stories of their recent desert adventures. Families danced to live music from a local band, new connections were made over a game of get-to-know-you bingo, and people enjoyed refreshments from local restaurants and breweries.
Not only were people celebrating, they were also taking action to defend the high desert. Attendees flocked to sign posters at the advocacy table, thanking federal legislators for passing the now 25-year-old act protecting Steens Mountain. Next to the table stood a large map of Oregon’s high desert, where people told stories about places they’d grown up in or visited. The map took on an emotional topography: here was a childhood landmark, a sage-grouse sighting, a once-in-a-lifetime kind of sunrise.
When I began the Hillis Internship at ONDA, I quickly realized its strength as a network of advocates with a deep, collective sense of care for Oregon’s high desert. The part of my role that I enjoyed the most was getting to know all the different people involved in the ONDA community, especially its volunteers. Each person I met had their own unique connection to high desert conservation, and I found myself learning something new with each conversation.
Thanks to a dedicated team of volunteers helping out, from membership to bartending, the Hootenanny was a success. I left the event feeling inspired and curious about each volunteer’s journey with ONDA, and I spoke with Susan and Jim Spitzer, Loriann McNeill, Gary Shipley, Terry Butler, Sam Hartman, Pam Summers, Clark Chesshir, Nancy Marshall, Greg Cittadini, Marc Peters and Luci Longoria to learn more about their stories as volunteers.
Mateo: How did you hear about ONDA? What made you initially want to volunteer, and why do you continue volunteering?
Susan and Jim: We learned about ONDA from some friends who are devoted to living a low-impact lifestyle. They have joined us on some volunteer projects. We love any chance to learn more about Oregon’s natural wonders, and it’s even better if we can do something hands-on to support Oregon’s natural places.
Loriann: As a kid growing up in Nevada, I spent summers running around, listening to coyotes from afar. I feel really comfortable in a desert environment. I initially did a stewardship trip with ONDA in the north John Day region cutting and collecting willow for plantings, and I love working hard and being with other people. I continue to volunteer because I always have fun, and I see the familiar volunteers.
Gary: While I was rafting on the Owyhee River, my guide shared that the group coming next week was ONDA. I have done a lot of river rafting in eastern Oregon, and I researched ONDA later and I decided to get involved. I keep coming back because I want to do something that impacts conservation locally, something that feels closer than a larger organization. I like volunteering my resource of time somewhere I can have an impact.
Terry: I’ve been going out to the high desert for decades, and at one point I was looking for information about a particular area and got good resources from ONDA. At that point I decided to find out more about ONDA, and I started doing restoration trips and other forms of volunteer work. I keep coming back to volunteer because I have a lot of respect for ONDA and the work that it does. I became a board member a couple of years ago, which broadened my view of ONDA and its work, which I find consistently professional and mission-driven.
Sam: I first found out about ONDA around 2014 through a speaker series about the Owyhee. I had done some trail work on the Pacific Crest Trail, and I was interested in doing work in and exploring the high desert. I appreciate the high desert’s big, open, expansive spaces that remind me of home, and I started doing conservation trips in Owyhee, Hart Mountain and Pine Creek. I then became more involved with the Portland office and volunteering more locally. I keep volunteering because it fosters my connection to the land and environment.
Pam: I decided to volunteer with ONDA because I had been wanting to stay engaged in the community as a senior. I love the desert and I used to spend time in the Mojave Desert in California, so I felt like ONDA was a good fit. I keep coming back to volunteer because the people are so cool, and I like spending time with people of all ages and backgrounds.
Clark: My parents have been a big fan of ONDA, and I went to ONDA’s spring picnic a couple years ago and was impressed with its mission and how people live it. People are really nice, it’s rewarding to volunteer, and I have fun.
Nancy: I had recently retired and was looking to give my time to something I cared about. I’m drawn to the desert more than the mountains, and as much as the beach. I’ve been going to eastern Oregon since I was introduced to camping there (including Lake Abert, Malheur Wildlife Refuge, Steens Mountain, Alvord Desert, Succor Creek and Leslie Gulch) with my then boyfriend several decades ago. ONDA is a way for me to give back and support conservation of public lands. I continue volunteering because I believe in the organization and am impressed with its mission and accomplishments.
Greg: The eastern side of Oregon is such a refuge for me. I spend a considerable amount of time fishing the Deschutes and other rivers in the area. When my kids left home, I wanted to devote time to causes I believe in. From the moment I learned about ONDA, what they do and their value system, it was a natural fit. What made me want to continue volunteering was being with like-minded people who feel as passionate as I do about our state’s natural resources and stewardship.
Marc: I have been a member of ONDA for some time now, and I wanted to also give back with my time.
Luci: I heard about ONDA several years ago through another local organization based in eastern Oregon (where I grew up). I was so grateful to learn about the expanding efforts to promote Oregon’s beautiful desert country! I’ve been purchasing the ONDA calendar as holiday gifts for friends ever since. On a dreary day in the office, I can gander over at the gorgeous pictures and think about my next trip to the desert; my mood lightens and I’ll remember to jump up to get outside for fresh air. I believe in the excellent education, stewardship and advocacy work that ONDA does, so I just knew ONDA had to also be a great community of people. I am so grateful for ONDA’s work to make sure we can preserve these lands for our collective wellbeing. Plus, I’ll jump at any opportunity to listen and talk with folks about Oregon’s natural wonders, especially about my old stomping grounds in eastern Oregon!
Mateo: What was your favorite part about volunteering at the Hootenanny?
Susan and Jim: As usual, it’s the people. We have been in awe of the many talents of others with whom we have volunteered for stewardship projects. Case in point: at least twice, there have been people with encyclopedic knowledge of Oregon’s fauna and flora. I also love the diverse age ranges and backgrounds of stewardship volunteers.
Loriann: That people were connecting! I enjoyed inviting people to play bingo and the receptiveness of attendees. In the age of cell phones, it’s rare to see people so present. My other favorite parts were interacting with people with a common love for the desert and the energy at the event.
Gary: I enjoyed helping with pickup and drop-off of in-kind donations.
Terry: The opportunity to see a lot of people who have become friends, and some people who I don’t get to see very often. Volunteering at the doors, I got to see the array of people who came in, and the enthusiasm that people bring in is very energizing. It instills a lot of hope.
Sam: It was a great opportunity to connect to people I’ve volunteered with before, members, and others I know, but also people who are really curious about ONDA and new to the community.
Pam: Just being around a diverse group of people who are very enjoyable, fun and laughing.
Clark: I enjoyed getting to see a lot of ONDA supporters, connecting with them, and helping make the event more interactive with the mocktail.
Nancy: Conversations with like-minded folks.
Greg: Working the membership and registration table is a great time to meet everyone that walks in the door. From our long-standing members to new folks, I love welcoming and engaging with people. I’m proud of the work ONDA does and it allows me to share that with others, especially those not familiar with ONDA’s work.
Marc: Meeting some really nice folks.
Luci: I got to stand by a cool map of majestic Steens Mountain and invite guests to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the area’s protection by thanking the legislators who helped get the protection across the finish line. It was a blast! I nerded out in front of a map of the area I know and love so much and chatted with a delightful mix of folks about the marvels of the Steens and Oregon’s natural desert. I shared joyous gratitude over and over with other lovers of Steens Mountain, and reasons why we must protect it. The only way it would have been better was to have simultaneously been on Steens itself! (There was great music, too!)
Thank you to all our ONDA volunteers for making the High Desert Hootenanny (and much more) such a success. If you’re interested in volunteering with ONDA, please visit our volunteer page for a list of opportunities.
