Our Place in the Wilderness
2020-01-23 | Deschutes Brewery Public House, 1044 NW Bond St, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
What does wilderness mean, who is it for, and how can we protect our best-loved natural areas while also maintaining public access to them? How should issues of equity and inclusivity play into decisions regarding wilderness management? When there are competing interests, how can common resources, such as public lands, be managed and protected in equitable ways—for past, present and future generations? How does access to wild places foster a sense of stewardship? Come hear a moderated panel of environmental thinkers explore these and other questions.

Behind the Lens
2021-05-05 18:00 - 19:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | OR
Do you appreciate the beauty of Oregon’s high desert and wish your photos matched up with what you experience? Meet a few of the photographers who make ONDA’s Wild Desert Calendar so damn beautiful each year and learn tips and tricks for shooting in the desert from them. You’ll learn how you can contribute to the 2022 edition of the calendar and come away with a few desert places to put on your bucket list.

National Get Outdoors Day
2021-06-12 | Deschutes Brewery Public House, 1044 NW Bond St, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
Saturday, June 12 is National Get Outdoors day and sites managed by the US Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management will be fee-free! Popular areas include the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, Newberry Volcanic Monument, and National Forests for the US Forest Service and Alsea Falls and Shotgun Creek BLM day-use areas.
National get outdoors day is held on the second Saturday of June annually and is part of National Great Outdoors month. It is coordinated by the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable and US Forest Service. It began as a way to encourage first-time participants and families with kids to get outdoors and enjoy nearby recreation areas.
Find out more about other USFS fee-free days on the US Forest Service Region 6 website.

Deschutes River Corridor Weed Pulls
2022-06-01 09:00 - 12:00 | OR
Join the Deschutes National Forest and Coalition for the Deschutes to pull invasive weeds along the Deschutes River. You’ll mostly be pulling knapweed and possibly some other invasives such as cheatgrass. With a small group of people spending two or three hours on the job, significant areas can be cleared and kept free of knapweed. And it’s fun and greatly appreciated!
Please bring:

gardening gloves
weeding tools if you have them (e.g., dandelion weeder)
snacks
water
And please dress for the weather and the work

For more information, send an email to inge@coalitionforthedeschutes.org

Protecting big trees in central Oregon & what happened with the logging at Phil's Trail
2022-08-01 | Deschutes Brewery Public House, 1044 NW Bond St, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
Join Worthy Garden Club, scientists, and conservation partners for a lively discussion about protecting big trees on the Deschutes National Forest and beyond. You’ll explore the values of these forests, the role they play in fire, and what went with the recent logging near Phil’s Trail.

Waterston Desert Writing Prize Award Ceremony
2022-09-22 | Deschutes Brewery Public House, 1044 NW Bond St, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
Join us for an evening of literary excellence. Kevin Fedarko, author of The Emerald Mile: The Epic Story of the Fastest Ride In History Through the Heart of the Grand Canyon, will speak about his current project in the Grand Canyon and his odyssey of nearly 800 miles, almost none of which involved a trail. Author Raquel Gutiérrez, the 2022 Waterson Guest Judge, will award this year’s Prize winner. And Caroline Tracey, winner of the 2022 Prize, will read from her submission “SALT LAKES.”
RSVP

2023 Wild Desert Calendar Release Party
2022-11-04 | Deschutes Brewery Public House, 1044 NW Bond St, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
You’re invited to join ONDA for an evening of striking high desert photography at the 2023 Wild Desert Calendar Release Party. Come to Immersion Brewing on November 4th to meet photographers and enjoy an evening filled with stunning images from your favorite high desert places.
This event is free and open to all, so invite a friend to come along. See you there!

Our Common Ground: America’s Public Lands as a Political and Conservation Success Story
2023-03-14 | Deschutes Brewery Public House, 1044 NW Bond St, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
Join professor and author John Leshy at the Tower Theater in Bend for ONDA’s event in the High Desert Speaker Series as he discusses his new book, Our Common Ground: A History of America’s Public Lands. Professor Leshy will offer some lessons that history suggests for future public land policy, such as how, as he writes, “decision making about public lands demonstrates our ability as a people to work together and find genuine common good.” He will explore contemporary challenges such as climate change, the biodiversity crisis, and escalating visitation, sharing insights and perspectives important to ONDA’s conservation work across Oregon’s high desert.
Tickets go on sale in early February. Stay tuned for more information via email.

Beers, Books, and Belted Kingfishers
2023-03-15 | Deschutes Brewery Public House, 1044 NW Bond St, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
A Benefit for Greater Hells Canyon Council
Join Bend’s Marina Richie, author of the award-winning book Halcyon Journey, In Search of the Belted Kingfisher, for a lively photo and story-filled evening of natural history, myth, memoir, and conservation. She will have books to sign and sell before and after her presentation.
Marina is on the Board of Directors of the Greater Hells Canyon Council. There will be fun “swag” from this grassroots group based in Northeast Oregon for those answering quiz questions during her talk.

COTA Trail Love
2023-05-20 09:00 - 14:00 | Embark, 2843 NW Lolo Dr., Bend, OR, 97703, United States
Trail Love is a community event that COTA hosts to gather folks to come out for a day of collective trail work. The riding season has just started and the moisture in the soil allows for great trail work conditions. Our goal is to get 100+ volunteers who are passionate about trails get a ton of trail work done to keep the trails riding great!
Everyone is welcome to this event, and no previous trail work experience is necessary! We encourage all trail enthusiasts to join us for a day of trail work, camaraderie, and celebration. It’s a perfect opportunity to learn about trail maintenance and contribute to the community. Youth are welcome with a parent/guardian.
The much-awaited riding season is finally here, and what better way to kick it off than by coming together as a community to improve our mountain bike trails?
If you plan on attending, please signup on Meetup here!
Event Details:
We will meet at 9am at the Embark Co-working Community parking lot (2843 NW Lolo Dr. Bend, OR). We ask that people park on the street so we don’t overcrowd the lots of adjacent businesses.
Event Agenda:
9a: COTA intro and safety talk
9:30a: Present Crew Leader pairs and projects – split into crews
10a – 1p: Trail WORK!
1p: Lunch and beverages at Embark
What to bring:

Water
Snacks

All tools and safety equipment will be provided!
What to wear:

Long sleeve shirt
Long pants
Closed toed shoes
Sunglasses, or you can borrow our eye protection

*Wear clothes you don’t mind getting dirty*

Open Spaces and Open Houses? The Tradeoffs in Oregon’s Land Use System
2023-06-15 08:30 - 10:30 | Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 61980 Skyline Ranch Road, Bend, OR, United States
Oregon’s land use system is 50 years old. It is both celebrated for its prevention of urban sprawl and derided for driving up housing costs. Join City Club as they welcome nationally recognized land use expert Bill Fulton, as he explores what makes Oregon’s land use system unique, and its strengths and weaknesses compared to other systems in the U.S. Is it accomplishing its goals? Have there been unintended consequences? You will then move into a discussion with local representatives from the development and conservation community and Bill, focusing on what they find successful in this system, what is frustrating, and how it could be improved.

33rd Annual Wildflower Show and Pollinator Festival
2023-06-24 09:00 - 15:00 | Sunriver Nature Center & Oregon Observatory, 57245 River Rd, Sunriver, OR, 97707, United States
This amazing festival showcases the diversity of flowering plants found throughout Central Oregon as well as vendors and partners who work with flowers or native pollinators. This is a great family event, with activities, special guest lectures, partners in education, as well as hundreds of native flowers on display.
If you are interested in volunteering or in being a vendor please e-mail info@snco.org.

Weed Warriors at Whychus Canyon Preserve
2023-08-02 09:00 - 12:00 | Whychus Canyon Preserve, Sisters, OR, 97756, United States
Join the Weed Warriors to battle invasive weeds at our protected lands! Weed Warriors is a volunteer group that meets several times a month to remove invasive weeds like mullein, spotted knapweed, teasel, and Canada thistle from the Land Trust protected lands. Non-native vegetation is a major threat to functioning natural areas. Pulling them by hand helps restore native plant communities.
Rating: Work party with moderate physical activity that includes digging and pulling weeds out of uneven ground.
What to bring: Work gloves and weeding tools (if you have them), snacks, water, and closed toe shoes. Dress for the weather.
Register Here!

BEYOND THE BEYOND: PREPARING BEND FOR A WILD FUTURE
2023-09-26 19:00 - 20:30 | Open Space Event Studios, 220 NE Lafayette Ave, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
How will our city and our lives be changed by population growth, a warming world, hotter summers and less water, new technologies and other emerging trends? And how can we plan to maintain our region’s beauty and quality of life?
Being resilient and seeking out opportunities to innovate is what moved Oregon into the forefront of planning 50 years ago and it’s what we strive to be far into the future. Come learn how planning will need to change in future decades with case studies on transforming traditional suburbs, developing new models for infrastructure planning, and building resiliency in an era of climate-driven events — and what we can do to retain the best of Bend as it moves into a wild future.
Admission is FREE but due to space constraints, pre-registration is required. Doors will open at 6:30pm and the program starts at 7pm. A no-host bar will be available.

REGISTER FOR FREE

THIS IS PART 3 OF A THREE-PART SERIES CELEBRATING OREGON’S LAND USE LAWS. YOU CAN VIEW PART 1 AND PART 2 HERE.

A Sense of Place Webinar Series: Indigenous Perspectives of Earth, Water and Sky, featuring Elizabeth Azzuz
2023-09-28 12:00 - 13:00 | Zoom
Elizabeth Azzuz, Secretary of Cultural Fire Management Council, will discuss her work using Traditional Native Karuk methods of prescribed burning to protect forests, heal degraded ecosystems, and reestablish forest-grown food, medicine, and products.
Register here!

Science Pub: Fungi in the Forest
2023-09-28 17:30 - 19:30 | OSU Cascades – Edward J. Ray Hall, Atrium, 1500 SW Chandler Ave, Bend, OR, 97702, United States
Explore the variety of fungi in Central Oregon and the surprisingly important role they play in forest health. You’ll discover the vast fungal communication networks in forests at boot-level and beneath, how fungi are adapted to our fire-dependent environment, and how they can help forests recover from fire.
You’ll also learn about the largest fungus in the world, located nearby in the Malheur National Forest.
About the Presenter
Ariel Cowan is an assistant professor of practice and regional fire specialist with the OSU Extension Service in Deschutes County. Cowan’s experience in mycology began at the State University of New York’s College of Environmental Science & Forestry. Since then, as a biologist, researcher, stewardship forester and wildland firefighter her work has focused on fungal ecology and forest health. She is a member of the Central Oregon Mushroom Club.
Register here!

The West is Burning Film Screening - La Pine
2023-10-05 18:30 - 20:30 | La Pine Activity Center, 16450 Victory Way, La Pine, OR, United States
Discover Your Forest, in partnership with the Deschutes National Forest and the Upper Deschutes River Communities, is hosting a public screening of The West is Burning followed by a panel discussion with specialists in land management, forest/fire ecology, fire management, and adaptive communities.
The free community event will be held at the La Pine Activity Center, 16450 Victory Way, La Pine on Thursday, October 5th. The event begins at 6:30 p.m. with dinner and childcare beginning at 6:00 p.m.
The West is Burning examines the history of forest management and social conflict that has contributed to current forest conditions, causing longer fire seasons and unprecedented impacts. The film emphasizes the need to act now to generate positive change in our forests, watersheds, and communities. Six real-life perspectives drive the film’s narrative to help raise awareness about the conditions of forests in the western U.S. Their stories demonstrate the need to embrace a new era of forest stewardship, and the unique partnerships that are being built across community-based organizations, government entities, and private and non-governmental organizations. These thought leaders highlight the need for a unified response to climate change, land use, and forest restoration, and emphasize the importance of community-based solutions to these challenges.
Representatives from local forestry and fire organizations will host tables and share information on wildfire preparedness before and after the event.
This is a free event with dinner and childcare provided. For more information contact Discover Your Forest’s Wildland Fire Education Coordinator, Emily Curtis, at emily.curtis@discovernw.org.

Any donations received through this form will go towards Discover Your Forest’s wildland fire and forest restoration public outreach and education programs.
Get tickets here!

Grit Clinics X COTA
2023-10-07 - 2023-10-08 | OR
Join us in Bend, OR for a full day of MTB skills with Grit Clinics ​& a trail work party with the Women of COTA
COTA and Grit Clinics are here for the same reason– Education and Empowerment. We invite you to join us for a weekend of tires and shovels on the trails. Further your mountain biking skillset with Grit Clinics on Saturday and then learn what it takes to build and maintain trails with the Women of COTA on Sunday (optional, but encouraged). With every entry, Grit Clinics will donate a one-year COTA membership to the participant or their friend of choice (if the participant already has a membership).
DETAILS:
Calling all riders, all levels, 18+
October 7, 2023 – Skills Clinic – 9am-4pm | Meet at 7th Mountain Resort
October 8, 2023 – Trail Work Party – 10am-12pm | Meet at the Welcome Center
Cost: $225 ​
Includes 6 hours of professional MTB instruction, coffee, snacks, and a healthy lunch on Saturday.
Also includes a 2 hour trail-work party on Sunday.
*A one-year COTA membership will be donated by Grit Clinics to every participant.
Register here!

Puffy Grass to Benefit COTA
2023-10-07 16:00 - 22:00 | LOGE Camp Bend, 19221 SW Century Dr, Bend, OR, 97702, United States
Come out to LOGE for their Puffy Grass event on October 7! The festivities kick off at 4pm and include live music, drinks, food trucks, a raffle, lawn games and more! Tickets are $20 and include 2 drink tickets and 1 raffle ticket. Click here to buy your tickets!

Deschutes Land Trust Planting Parties
2023-10-10 10:00 - 13:00, 2023-10-11 10:00 - 13:00, 2023-10-12 10:00 - 13:00, 2023-10-13 10:00 - 13:00 | Camp Polk Meadow Preserve, Sisters, OR, 97756, United States
Camp Polk Meadow Preserve: October 10 & 11
Roll up your sleeves and help the Deschutes Land Trust plant native plants in a recent restoration area at Camp Polk Meadow Preserve. We have been working for several years to restore the native plant community in the Hindman Springs portion of the Preserve. Volunteers will help complete one of the last phases of the restoration by planting native plants in a portion of the Preserve where weeds were recently removed. Get your hands dirty and have fun while improving wildlife habitat and making a difference in Central Oregon. This is a family-friendly work party!
Register here for 10/10, 10am-1pm
Register here for 10/11, 10am-1pm
Indian Ford Meadow Preserve: October 12 & 13
Roll up your sleeves and help the Deschutes Land Trust plant native plants in a recent restoration area at Indian Ford Meadow Preserve. We have been working to restore the native plant community at the Preserve, and volunteers will help plant native plants in a portion of the Preserve where weeds were recently removed. Get your hands dirty and have fun while improving wildlife habitat and making a difference in Central Oregon. This is a family-friendly work party!
Register here for 10/12, 10am-1pm
Register here for 10/13, 10am-1pm

Trail Love
2023-10-14 09:00 - 13:00 | OR
Ideal weather conditions for trail maintenance have finally arrived, and we are stoked to invite you to our final Trail Love of the season! Join us as we gather from all over the community to spend a day improving our trails.
We’ll meet at 9am at Swampy Lakes Trailhead (note this meeting location is weather dependent and is subject to change). Groups will get a safety briefing, then breakout into groups to head out for trail work. Lunch, beverages, AND Bonta Gelato will be provided when groups return around 1pm.
Everyone is welcome! Whether you’re an experienced trailblazer or a beginner looking to lend a helping hand, your participation is highly valued. Together, we can make a substantial impact on the upkeep and enhancement of our beloved trails. Please signup on Meetup here!

Hands on Habitat - Beaver Works Volunteer Opportunity
2023-10-21 09:00 - 16:00 | OR
This is a one-day project to plant beaver and other wildlife habitat in Tetherow Crossing Park in Redmond, Oregon
Difficulty level: Easy/Medium
Itinerary: Planting will take place between 9AM and 4PM on Saturday, October 21st.
Tasks will include: Digging in somewhat-rocky soil, assessing survival, growth rate, and recruitment of existing plants, planting potted native riparian plants, removing weeds by hand, and installing wildlife trail cameras.
What you’ll need: A positive attitude and work ethic; Plan to bring your own lunch and we’ll bring the special treats. We’ll have work gloves, but feel free to bring your own. Work will be outside, so dress for the weather.
About the Location: Tetherow Crossing Park occupies a scenic stretch of the trout-filled upper Deschutes River. This park is home to one of the oldest standing houses in Deschutes County. Our work site is in a really picturesque and accessible section of the park. Volunteers will be part of the second stage of a multi-year project, as well as learn about beaver, wildlife habitat use, and riparian restoration. There are no bathrooms nearby.
We’ll need about 10 people for this project – so share this with your friends and make a fun day out of it while helping to restore beaver habitat!
SIGN UP HERE!

Central Oregon - Beer:Thirty! at Goodlife Brewing (rescheduled from 10/25)
2023-11-01 17:00 - 19:00 | GoodLife Brewing, 70 SW Century Dr suite 100-464, Bend, OR, 97702, United States
Join OOA’s Central Oregon Chapter at Goodlife Brewing in Bend!
We will be hearing from Oregon Adaptive Sports Equipment Manager, Jared Apjoke along with their Education and Training Manager Melodie Buell about what they do and how they impact the outdoor community. We will also hear from Geoff Babb inventor of AdvenChair that allows people with mobility challenges to experience the serenity and grandeur of wild places with family and friends.
All Beer:Thirty! events are FREE for OOA members and $10 for non-members.
Register here!

2024 Wild Desert Calendar Release Party
2023-11-04 17:00 - 20:00 | Immersion Brewing, 550 SW Industrial Way, Bend, OR, 97702, United States
Join us in celebrating the release of ONDA’s Wild Desert Calendar at Immersion Brewing Barrel Room!
Meet photographers featured in the 2024 calendar and pick up desert tips and know-how. Calendars and drinks will be available for purchase. This event is free and open to all. We hope to see you there!

The Blackcountry Journal film screening
2023-11-07 18:00 - 21:00 | Broken Top Bottle Shop, 1740 NW Pence Ln #1, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
Join Oregon Wild in Bend and get stoked for ski season with an in-person screening of the film The Blackcountry Journal!
Where: Broken Top Bottle Shop & Ale Cafe (1740 NW Pence Ln # 1, Bend, OR 97703)
When: Tuesday, November 7 at 6pm
About the film: A skier contemplates his connection to skiing and the mountains. As he hurries through the streets of L.A., his path takes a turn after bumping into a jazz musician who helps him discover the correlation between jazz and skiing–an expression of art, skiing, and black culture.
We’ll also be joined by the filmmaker and star of The Blackcountry Journal, Mallory Duncan, and our friends from Vamonos Outside for a discussion after the film on skiing, public lands, and representation in the outdoors.
Mallory Duncan is a skier and filmmaker based in Bend, Oregon.
Vamonos Outside is a grassroots movement to engage Central Oregon Latinx and BIPOC communities with the outdoors. Primarily utilizing partnerships, public lands, and outdoor recreation activities such as skiing/snowboarding, mountain biking, climbing, hiking, canoeing, rafting, and others. Their goal is to foster a sense of connection and integration between marginalized communities and green spaces.

Interpretive Beaver Walk
2023-11-11 14:00 - 16:00 | Shevlin Park, 18920 Shevlin Park Road, Bend, OR, 97701, United States
Join Think Wild and Beaver Works staff on an Interpretive Beaver Walk on Saturday, November 11th from 2-4 pm at Shevlin Park. This walk will be led by Sadie Pollock, Education and Volunteer Manager, and Maureen Thompson, Beaver Works Program Manager. Learn to identify beaver evidence, understand the critical role that beavers play in our ecosystem, and more! We will meet in front of Aspen Hall.

Our Knowledge is Power - Climate Change and Indigenous Communities
2023-11-12 17:00 - 19:00 | OSU Cascades – Edward J. Ray Hall, Atrium, 1500 SW Chandler Ave, Bend, OR, 97702, United States
Artist Talk and Film Screening:
OUR KNOWLEDGE IS POWER: THE CULTURES OF BEAUTY AND SURVIVAL IN ISLE DE JEAN CHARLES, LA AND SHISHMAREF, AK
NOTE DATE CHANGE: Sunday, November 12, 2023 | 5 to 7 p.m.

Edward J. Ray Hall, Charles McGrath Family Atrium, OSU-Cascades
FREE.

REGISTRATION REQUESTED (REGISTER HERE)
