The Friends of the Chemung River Watershed is the community's connection for everything related to the beautiful Chemung River, its tributaries, and the trails and grounds surrounding the river. The 45-mile-long Chemung River is at the center of our efforts to promote regional recreation for guided paddles, fishing, riverside hikes, cross-country skiing, biking, bird watching, nature photography, and other events and programs. We also believe that a clean watershed is what makes for great outdoor recreation, drawing both locals and tourists to the area, and protecting the ecosystem is critical as we advocate for increased responsible usage of our watershed. We work to educate the public on safe and fun recreation around the river, improving the quality of life in the Southern Tier, and helping the community to embrace their role in protecting our precious natural resources.

Endangered Bat in Chemung County

Did you know that Chemung County hosts the Northern Long-Eared Bat (Myotis spetentrionalis)? This endangered bat has been spotted in Sperr Park and will hopefully be seen more frequently in our neighborhood. This medium-sized bat is known for its ears, which are much longer than other bats of its genus. White-nose syndrome, a fungal disease that is decimating bat populations, is the number one threat to this bat. The population has declined by 99%! This month, we'll be celebrating bats with crafts, educational workshops, and a raffle for a deluxe bat house/castle! Visit our programs page to learn more about upcoming events. Learn more about this incredible creature here.

October Raffle

We have two raffles and tickets are available until October 30, 2024. You do not need to be present to win! The first raffle is for a gently used Wilderness Systems Tsunami 120 kayak and paddle. These kayaks are for beginner to intermediate paddlers and start at $1,000! You can purchase tickets in our office or by using our donation portal. Tickets are 1 for $20, 5 for $40, or 20 for $60. Our second raffle is for a Deluxe Bat Castle, which will encourage bats to roost where you place it. You may have seen bat houses, but you've never seen a bat house like this! Tickets are 1 for $5, 5 for $10, and 20 for $20. You can view all raffle items in the window of our office at 109 N. Main Street, Elmira, NY 14901. Winners must be able to pick up prizes. We can't ship these items, sorry!

Fascinations by the River

We are excited to announce that we have partnered with local fiber artist, Shannah Warwick from BlckBts, to do fiber art installations on the riverside trails throughout Chemung County! Our project, titled "Fascinations by the River," was recently awarded a 2022 Community Arts Grant from The ARTS Council of the Southern Finger Lakes! You'll find these nature-inspired art installations in several locations. We won't tell you where, but we've set up a scavenger hunt so you can explore our river trails and discover them on your own. Your first hint:

If you are starting at the beginning of the Chemung River in Chemung County (heading East), you will find the first piece at a boat launch named after a locally famous LANDING...

• More Info & Clues

This project is made possible with funds from the Statewide Community Regrant program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature and administered by The ARTS Council of the Southern Finger Lakes.