ONDA engages with many volunteers throughout the year who play an integral part in our outreach and events. We appreciate volunteers who assist in the office, tabling or at events such as the ones listed below. To join our list of office and event volunteers in either Bend or Portland, please fill out the volunteer interest form below, or email our team to learn more.

Office Volunteering

• Portland Office Crew: Join us in our Portland office (2009 NE Alberta St) on Thursdays between 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. for a shift of one to three hours. You’ll assist with hand-writing notes, addressing and stuffing envelopes, phone calls to ONDA members, data entry, and other administrative tasks.
• Bend Office Crew: Join us in our Bend Office (50 SW Bond St) on Wednesdays between 12 p.m. – 3 p.m. or Thursdays between 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. for a shift. You’ll assist with mailings, data entry, projects to support our stewardship work, and other administrative tasks.

Tabling

• Earth Day Fair: Saturday, April 26. Shift 1: 10:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Shift 2: 1:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Join us at the Environmental Center’s Earth Day Fair, where we’ll be connecting our community with ONDA’s work. Volunteers will meet and greet the public, share information, and encourage sign-ups.

Events

• Portland Sagebrush Social: Tuesday, June 3 from 4:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Volunteers will share information about ONDA with guests, encourage attendees to advocate, volunteer and assist with set up and clean up. We are also seeking 1-2 volunteers with extensive knowledge about visiting and recreating in eastern Oregon to help attendees plan their trip to the high desert.
• Bend Sagebrush Social: Thursday, June 5 from 4:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. Volunteers will share information about ONDA with guests, encourage attendees to advocate, volunteer and assist with set up and clean up.

Apply below to volunteer with us!

Another critical way you can volunteer in support of your public lands is to become an advocate and your use voice to urge key decision makers to prioritize desert conservation.

You can get on ONDA’s action alert list by subscribing to ONDA’s e-newsletter.

Have a story you want to share? We’d love to hear it!

ONDA’s staff-and-volunteer-run blog features a range of passionate storytellers sharing high desert knowledge and offering new insights. Here, we give Oregon’s desert a deserving voice—and we’re at our best when we showcase a rich array of people, experiences and motivations for supporting conservation.

Because outdoor and environmental writing has historically had a narrow focus, we encourage women, BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and other diverse voices to reach out to discuss options for sharing a volunteer piece.

Submissions can take many forms including audio recordings, photo diaries, poetry, narratives, interviews, articles and more. Your creative ideas are welcome, and no experience is necessary.

To get involved, please contact us at onda@onda.org with the subject line “Volunteer Contributor.”

In the spring and fall, we engage volunteers in meaningful restoration, stewardship and monitoring projects in the most important habitats across Oregon’s high desert. Registration is now open for spring 2025 trips. Learn more and sign up on our stewardship trips page.

We encourage people of all ability levels and backgrounds to get out with us to take part in our hands-on stewardship trips and deepen their relationship with Oregon’s high desert. All trips are free and no experience is required. ONDA provides all of the tools, equipment and training necessary for the projects.

ONDA also partners with school groups, community organizations, and businesses that want to volunteer together.