The High Desert Museum, just south of Bend, is the largest cultural institution in Central and Eastern Oregon and the only museum in the nation devoted to North America's High Desert. Read more ›
Volunteering looks likeVolunteers support nearly every part of the Museum, from staffing exhibits and leading hands-on activities for visitors to helping school groups on field trips, assisting at Admissions, and interpreting living history and natural history at various sites. Read more ›
Who can volunteerAdolescents (13–18)Adults (19+)Older adults (65+)Oregon Health Plan Hours
The Nature Conservancy is a global conservation organization that protects lands and waters on which all life depends. In Oregon it conserves forests, grasslands, rivers, and wetlands, manages nature preserves open to the public, and works with ranchers, tribes, agencies, and communities on restoration, wildfire resilience, and freshwater protection.
Volunteering looks likeVolunteers help care for The Nature Conservancy's Oregon preserves through stewardship workdays, with planting, invasive weed removal, and trail and fence work, as well as community science monitoring and event support. Read more ›
Who can volunteerAdults (19+)Older adults (65+)
Sisters Community Garden is a nonprofit community garden in Sisters where members grow their own food in garden plots, share knowledge and harvests, and build community through work parties and member events, with the help of volunteer Friends of the Garden.
Volunteering looks likeVolunteers, known as Friends of the Garden, help out in the garden at work parties, organize community events, and support fundraising. Reach the garden by email through its volunteer page to get involved.
Who can volunteerFamiliesAdults (19+)Older adults (65+)
The Sunriver Nature Center & Observatory has inspired visitors to cherish and understand the natural world for more than 50 years. Read more ›
Volunteering looks likeVolunteers work in animal care, education, grounds and landscaping of the center's 8 acres around Lake Aspen, visitor services, observatory programs, the Second Tern thrift store, and administration. Read more ›
Who can volunteerFamiliesPreteens (10–12)Adolescents (13–18)Adults (19+)Older adults (65+)Oregon Health Plan Hours
The Ochoco National Forest and Crooked River National Grassland, managed by the U.S. Forest Service out of Prineville, span forests, grasslands, rivers, and rimrock in Central Oregon, offering camping, hiking, fishing, hunting, and wildlife viewing on public lands.
Volunteering looks likeVolunteers help care for public lands with trail maintenance, campground hosting, cleanups, invasive weed removal, wildlife and plant surveys, and visitor information, from one-day projects to seasonal roles.
Who can volunteerGroupsAdults (19+)Older adults (65+)
A volunteer network of backyard weather observers of all ages who measure and report daily rain, hail, and snow. Started in 1998 at the Colorado Climate Center at Colorado State University, it is sponsored by NOAA, the National Weather Service, and the National Science Foundation. Read more ›
Volunteering looks likeCitizen science from home: measuring daily precipitation, snow, and hail with a standard 4-inch rain gauge and reporting it online or in the mobile app, about five minutes a day. Read more ›
Who can volunteerFamiliesSchool GroupsChildren (3–9)Preteens (10–12)Adolescents (13–18)Adults (19+)Older adults (65+)From Home / Remote
The Oregon High Desert Grotto is Central Oregon's caving club, a Bend-based chapter of the National Speleological Society founded in 1989. Read more ›
Volunteering looks likeVolunteers and members help protect Central Oregon's caves through cleanups and graffiti removal, cave surveying and mapping, and photo documentation, often alongside land managers and local partners. Read more ›
Who can volunteerGroupsAdults (19+)Older adults (65+)
Central Oregon's first nonprofit cannery, launched in 2025 to reduce farm food waste and fight food insecurity. It collects surplus produce from area farms that markets can't absorb and turns it into healthy, shelf-stable jams, sauces, pickled vegetables, and soups, supporting local growers while getting local food to families year-round.
Volunteering looks likeVolunteers help glean and collect surplus produce from local farms, prep and process fruits and vegetables in canning sessions, label and package finished goods, and support distribution to food access partners, plus outreach and fundraising events.
Who can volunteerAdults (19+)Older adults (65+)
Trailkeepers of Oregon (TKO) is a statewide, volunteer-powered nonprofit that protects and enhances the Oregon hiking experience through trail building and maintenance, advocacy, outreach, and education. Read more ›
Volunteering looks likeIn Central Oregon, TKO volunteers care for the trails at Smith Rock State Park, including the River Trail, Canyon Trail, and the Crooked River footbridge area, at regular Trail Parties, and help at the annual Smith Rock Spring Thing, which draws 200+ volunteers. Read more ›
Who can volunteerGroupsCorporate / Workplace GroupsAdults (19+)Older adults (65+)
Repair Café is The Environmental Center's free community repair event, held every few months around Central Oregon since 2013. People bring broken clothing, jewelry, small appliances, electronics, outdoor gear, bikes, and household items, and volunteer fixers repair them or teach how, with a success rate of about 65%. Read more ›
Volunteering looks likeVolunteer fixers are the heart of every Repair Café: sewists, electronics tinkerers, bike mechanics, jewelry menders, knife sharpeners, and all-around handy people who repair items and teach visitors how to do it themselves. Read more ›
Who can volunteerAdults (19+)Older adults (65+)
The Deschutes Land Trust conserves and cares for the lands and waters that sustain Central Oregon, so local communities and the natural world can flourish together for generations to come. Read more ›
Volunteering looks likeVolunteers help through several tracks: stewardship work parties (plantings, weed pulls, trail care on Land Trust preserves), trail steward monitoring, community science surveys of birds, butterflies, plants, and… Read more ›
Who can volunteerFamiliesAdults (19+)Older adults (65+)Oregon Health Plan Hours
The Crooked River Weed Management Area is a partnership of landowners, agencies, and organizations working to prevent and control invasive, noxious weeds across the Crooked River basin to protect rangelands, farms, and native habitat.
Volunteering looks likeVolunteers join weed pulls and invasive plant removal days and help with outreach and education about identifying and controlling noxious weeds.
Who can volunteerGroupsAdults (19+)Older adults (65+)