Helping to build a trail at Indian Ford Meadow Preserve (Byron Dudley).

You can help protect land for wildlife, scenic views, and recreation in your community by volunteering with the Deschutes Land Trust. Volunteers are a huge part of the work we do protecting and restoring land. Current volunteer opportunities are listed below.

Read about our 2008-2009 Volunteers of the Year, or past volunteers of the Year. 

To become a Land Trust volunteer: 

1. Peruse the list of volunteer projects below to see how you would most like to be involved. We may have other volunteer opportunities not listed.
2. Contact Sarah Mowry, our volunteer coordinator and she will send you a Volunteer Questionnaire to complete. Sarah will then add you to our volunteer email list and get in touch with you about how you can help.

 
 
Current Volunteer Projects

Dirty Half Trail Run: Help staff the Dirty Half Trail Run. This annual FootZone run is a benefit for the Land Trust and we'll need lots of help staffing aid stations, handing out prizes, parking folks and more! Learn more...

Knapweed Knabbers: a loose network of folks dedicated to removing invasive knapweed at Rimrock Ranch. The best part—they get to spend time at an amazingly beautiful private ranch while helping restore native grasslands! Once you complete an initial orientation you can remove knapweed on your own schedule. Contact Sherry Berrin.

Office help: We always need folks who can donate a few hours to office projects such as mailings, data entry and more.

Preserve Bird Surveys: If you're an avid birder who likes to visit birding hot spots throughout the year, then we'd love to have your help!  Land Trust volunteers conduct bird surveys year round to help us monitor local populations and assess the effects of our restoration efforts. Learn more.

Photographers: Do you have eye-catching, thought-provoking, heart-warming, or even awe-inspiring photos of Central Oregon? We are looking for outstanding photos of this region that the Land Trust could use in our efforts to help protect more land. Or, if you are itching to get out there with a mission to take more photos, we'd love to put you to work photographing our protected lands.

Stewardship Volunteers: Get to know the Land Trust Preserves first-hand by participating in our stewardship projects.  Typically these can include noxious weed removal, planting native vegetation, or maintaining trails.  Work in groups or on your own while getting your hands dirty amidst the natural beauty of Central Oregon.

Volunteer Naturalists:  Enjoy time outdoors leading educational hikes at Land Trust Preserves. Meet fellow Land Trust supporters and share your natural or historical knowledge of this region.

Weed Warriors: a regular group of local folks who remove invasive weeds at Land Trust Preserves. These folks meet the first Saturday of every month (locations TBD) and first and third Tuesdays at Rimrock Ranch. You can join them for some or all the gatherings. Regardless, it is a great way to get to know folks while giving something back. Contact Larry Weinberg for more information: larry@deschuteslandtrust.org.