The Land Trust hosted a volunteer event at the end of October to thank and recognize our amazing pool of volunteers. We are so lucky to have more than 220 volunteers who are dedicated to conserving and caring for land and sharing our work with other Central Oregonians.

Land Trust volunteers lend a hand in so many different ways indoors and out! This year (so far!) they've donated 2,829 hours alone! Wow! Huge thanks to the following volunteers:

• Bird Surveyors: Thank you for documenting our feathered friends at our protected lands. We all enjoy reports from our bird surveyors about the latest assortment of birds, from big, bold golden eagles down to tiny canyon wrens!

• Event Volunteers: Nature Nights, tabling, Open Houses and other events—we couldn’t do it without you. Thank you for your time and energy!

• Hike Leaders: Thank you for sharing the wonders of nature at our protected lands, and for making it possible to offer 100+ free walks and hikes each year! We are consistently amazed by your knowledge and skill!

• Hike Shepherds: Thank you for keeping our hikes together, enriching the tour with your natural history knowledge, and getting everyone back to the trailhead safely!

• Office Volunteers: Helping with mailings, cutting butterfly wings, stuffing envelopes with milkweed seeds, or other indoor projects, we so appreciate your help getting this critical work done!

• Photographers: Thank you for keeping us inspired with beautiful photos of our protected lands and for photos that help tell the story of our work!

• Site Stewards: Thank you for being a presence at Paulina Creek Preserve, weathering fires and more to help usher this new Preserve into its future!

• Trail Ambassadors: Thank you for welcoming folks to our Preserves, answering questions with a smile, stuffing kiosks with supplies, and helping be our eyes and ears on the ground!

• Trail Stewards: Thank you for raking, weeding, pulling, and lopping! Your efforts keep our trails in excellent shape and help share these places with our community.

• Work Party Volunteers: Removing barb wire, plant caging, and weeds (so many weeds!!). Planting grasses, wildflowers, and willows. Thank you for helping with the dirty work—restoring habitat takes dedication and grit and we are so thankful to have you by our side. Special shout out to Pat and Dave green who lead a dedicated group of Weed Warriors and who have single handedly slayed weeds for 500+ hours EACH this year alone!!

• All other volunteers: Whether your donated 1 hour or 100, thank you for giving your time! We know it is a precious commodity and we thank you for your dedication to conserving and caring for the lands and waters of Central Oregon!

 

2024 Outstanding Volunteers

Rick Dingus has been a Land Trust member and volunteer since 2019. He is a retired professor of photography, with massive chops as a pro photographer who uses his photos to tell the story of the land and its people. (Seriously, check out his Smithsonian bio!).

When Rick moved to Bend he jumped right into the Land Trust, helping tell the story of our Preserves, projects, and people through a keen photographic eye. Rick has spent countless hours deep in the creek, bushwhacking through streamside forests, or high on canyon rims with the golden eagles. In hot sun, rain, snow and more—he has captured the photos that show the impact of our restoration efforts, the wonders of nature, and people having fun outside. Thank you Rick, for donating so much of yourself these past few years to conserve and protect these lands for generations to come! Congratulations Rick on your 2024 Outstanding Volunteer Award!

 

 

Dick and Kathy Malone have been Land Trust members and volunteers since 2015. During their decade of volunteering, they have helped with just about every part of the Land Trust. They helped pilot our Trail ambassador program, helping welcome and share our Preserves with the community. And they've also shepherded hikes, stained benches, filled kiosks, stuffed mailers, lent a hand at events, put up posters, packed milkweed seeds. Really you name it and they have been there! Whenever we need a quick project completed, they're always willing to help out. And best of all, through all these years and projects, they always have smiles on their faces. Thank you Dick and Kathy, for dedicating your time, energy, and amazing smiles to the Land Trust! Congratulations Dick and Kathy on your 2024 Outstanding Volunteer Award!

 

 

 

Cottonwood Circle

The Deschutes Land Trust is pleased to announce six new inductees into the Cottonwood Circle. The Cottonwood Circle is an elite group of individuals who have volunteered for 10 or more years with the Land Trust. The Cottonwood Circle is named for the majestic black cottonwoods that line Whychus Creek at several Land Trust Preserves.

Today, cottonwoods are rare in their distribution across Central Oregon. It is this rarity, like the volunteers who stick with us for 10 or more years, that inspires us to honor and revere these special trees and special people that are integral to a healthy landscape, a healthy land trust, and a healthy future. This year's Cottonwood Circle inductees are Stella Dean, Clyde Dildine, Colleen Egertson, Kolby Kirk, Kathy Malone, David Margiott, Rod Moorehead, and Al St. John.

We are so pleased to welcome you all to the Cottonwood Circle! Thank you for choosing the Land Trust and for dedicating so much of yourself over the years!

Learn more:

• About how you can volunteer for the Land Trust.
• About the Cottonwood Circle.