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Each year, hundreds of Oregon Natural Desert Association volunteers protect and restore the public lands of Oregon’s high desert.
You might find yourself restoring streams, improving trails, mailing thank you letters, attending meetings, or welcoming people at ONDA events. With many different ways to pitch in and help, your effort, skills and passion are needed and appreciated. We’d love to have you join our vibrant community of desert advocates.
Michelle Frisella, member since 2017
So proud of ONDA and its members and volunteers. Such hard work gets done. To use an overused word, this is patriotism!
Connecting Trails
The Oregon Desert Trail ties into two National Recreation Trails: the Fremont National Recreation Trail and Desert Trail.
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.”
Our 2022 winter, spring and summer group stewardship trips and independent stewards projects are now open for registration; fall trips and projects opening for registration on June 1.
Typically, ONDA works with many volunteers throughout the year who play an integral part in our outreach and events. While these opportunities are currently limited due to the pandemic, we are looking forward to hosting volunteers again when it’s safe to do so.
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.
ONDA also works with school groups, community organizations, and businesses that want to volunteer together. In 2021, we have independent projects for groups and we’re accepting interest forms for onsite projects in 2022.
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 prioritze desert conservation.
You can get on ONDA’s action alert list by texting ONDA to 52886 and subscribing to ONDA’s e-newsletter.