Oregon Natural Desert Association opens registration for spring stewardship trips

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The Oregon Natural Desert Association (ONDA) is opening registration for its spring 2023 stewardship trips on Wednesday.

ONDA’s stewardship program is designed to ensure that public and tribally managed lands in Eastern Oregon get the care they need in order to be healthy and resilient enough to support the needs of fish, wildlife and local communities.

But, the benefits that the volunteers get aren’t bad, either.

Studies have shown that spending time in a natural setting lowers your stress level, heartrate and blood pressure, and that volunteering for a cause you believe in contributes to greater happiness and mental well-being. Volunteers do a lot of digging, pulling, planting and hiking – all of which offer great exercise—and the chance to get to know new people and places in the high desert.

"Volunteer trips with ONDA have helped me feel connected to the desert and the environment around me. It is so fulfilling both mentally and physically to be out putting plants in the ground at the South Fork of the Crooked River or monitoring sage grouse at Hart Mountain,” said ONDA volunteer Elisa Cheng of Bend.

Each ONDA stewardship trip offers chances to learn about the desert with an expert while taking part in hands-on work restoring streams and improving wildlife habitat. All of this work takes place in some of the most scenic and awe-inspiring places in Oregon’s high desert, including the South Fork of the Crooked River, Oregon Badlands Wilderness, and Steens Mountain.

ONDA stewardship trips and projects are open to everyone and there is no cost to participate, although a small deposit is required to hold a spot on group trips. No prior experience is required, and trip difficulty ratings allow people to find a trip that is a good match for them physically.

ONDA’s calendar of spring trips and projects is available at https://onda.org/trips­­. People can preview the list now and sign up once registration opens on Wednesday. If you are interested in being alerted when opportunities to care for public lands arise, visit ONDA’s website to subscribe to ONDA’s e-newsletter.

Oregon Natural Desert Association is a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting, defending and restoring Oregon’s high desert for current and future generations. Since 1987, ONDA has conserved hundreds of thousands of acres of stunning, wildlife-rich natural areas in the Central Oregon Backcountry, John Day River Basin, Greater Hart-Sheldon Region, Steens Mountain Region and the Owyhee Canyonlands. Learn more at ONDA.org.