A new ecological restoration project near the south end of Crooked River Park in Prineville is seeking volunteers to help improve the resilience of the space to drought, erosion and invasive species, while enhancing wildlife connectivity.

The Crooked River Native Plant Stewardship Project, a partnership between Think Wild, Central Oregon’s conservation center and wildlife hospital, and Crook County Parks and Recreation, aims to transform an ecologically degraded 20,000-square-foot riverside lot adjacent to Crooked River Park in Prineville into a native garden.

With funding from Portland General Electric, Meta’s Community Action Grant, the Oregon Parks Foundation Fund and other partners, the project focuses on restoring a former gravel lot riddled with invasive species into an ecologically rich space for pollinators, birds and other native wildlife.

The project began in spring 2025 and will continue through 2026. 

Think Wild aims to “connect people to place” and will host a volunteer day on Thursday to launch the restoration project. Volunteers will help with solarization, an eco-friendly, sun-powered method of preparing soil for planting by laying out large tarps over the site.

“This project is about more than native planting. It’s about connecting people to place,” said Hannah Wuerfel, habitat restoration coordinator at Think Wild. “By restoring this stretch of the Crooked River, we’re creating habitat for native species and opportunities for the community to learn and take ownership in local conservation.”

Along with this volunteer event, local students have already been contributing to the restoration project. This past spring, students from Barnes Butte Elementary and Redmond Proficiency Academy visited the site for field days led by Think Wild, where they documented site conditions, identified native plants and explored soil types. Pioneer High School’s Youth Compass Program also helped remove invasive species and debris along the riverbank.

As the project progresses, students across the area will continue to contribute to the restoration project by assisting with planting native grasses, wildflowers, shrubs and forbs to support pollinators and wildlife.

“It’s important for people to see that change is implementable even in degraded spaces,” Molly Honea, development and communications coordinator for Think Wild, said. “We want to empower people to realize that they can do this in small sections of their own property or other public spaces.”

Native planting will begin in fall 2025, with additional volunteer days and educational events planned to engage schools, families and local organizations.

To volunteer or learn more about the Crooked River Native Plant Stewardship Project, contact Hannah Wuerfel at hannah@thinkwildco.org.