Friends of the Chemung River Watershed

Coffee with Friends: The Dark Side of Fashion
2024-11-16 09:00 - 10:00 (America/New_York) | Chemung River Friends, 109 North Main St., Elmira, New York, 14901, United States
The Dark Side of Fashion, presented by Faith Gray.
Just in time for the busy shopping season, Faith’s talk takes a look into the fashion industry’s negative impact on our world. You will never look at your closet the same way.
The talks will be held at the Friends of the Chemung River office at 109 N. Main Street, Elmira, NY. A light breakfast, tea, and (of course) coffee will be served at no cost and this program is free, no registration required. Doors will open at 8:30am, and the talk will begin promptly at 9am and end at 10am to get you out and on your way to enjoying your weekend.
For more information, please contact our outreach coordinator at outreachcoordinator@chemungriverfriends.org.
A $10 per person donation is suggested, but not required. Donations can be made in person or through our online donation portal.

Cookies with Friends
2024-12-11 15:30 - 16:30
This month we will take our children on a stroll through the Mark Twain Riverfront Park and then return to the warmth of our office to make a seasonal decoration using natural elements. Please dress for the weather. There is no registration required and this event is free and open to the public. We’ll meet at 109 N. Main Street in Elmira at 3:30PM. Cookies are included! Wednesday, December 11 at 3:30PM.

Coffee with Friends: Nature Prescriptions
2024-12-14 09:00 - 10:00 | Chemung River Friends, 109 North Main St., Elmira, New York, 14901, United States
Peggy Hurley, DO, retired physician and master naturalist returns!
Dr. Hurley will provide information from her extensive research regarding how time spent in nature can improve your physical and mental health.
The talks will be held at the Friends of the Chemung River office at 109 N. Main Street, Elmira, NY. A light breakfast, tea, and (of course) coffee will be served. Doors will open at 8:30am, and the talk will begin promptly at 9am and end at 10am to get you out and on your way to enjoying your weekend.
For more information, please contact our outreach coordinator at outreachcoordinator@chemungriverfriends.org.
A $10 per person donation is suggested, but not required. Donations can be made in person or through our online donation portal.

Cookies with Friends: Native Plants and the Pollinators That Need Them
2025-01-15 15:30 - 16:30
Join us at our downtown Elmira office for our fun, free program for kids: Cookies with Friends! This program is a kid-friendly version of our Coffee with Friends series and features a book, a craft, and of course, cookies! The program is free and no registration is required. Please dress for the weather, as we do sometimes take a nature walk as part of the program. We meet at 3:30PM at 109 N. Main Street, Elmira, NY, on Wednesdays the week of our Coffee with Friends programs.

Coffee with Friends: Invasive Plants
2025-01-18 09:00 - 10:00 | Chemung River Friends, 109 North Main St., Elmira, New York, 14901, United States
Penn State Extension Master Watershed Steward Coordinator Jeremy Leaidicker will define “invasive plants” and explain how they threaten our ecosystem. Learn what you can do in your own backyards and in your community to help.
The talks will be held at the Friends of the Chemung River office at 109 N. Main Street, Elmira, NY. A light breakfast, tea, and (of course) coffee will be served. Doors will open at 8:30am, and the talk will begin promptly at 9am and end at 10am to get you out and on your way to enjoying your weekend.
For more information, please contact our outreach coordinator at outreachcoordinator@chemungriverfriends.org.
A $10 per person donation is suggested, but not required. Donations can be made in person or through our online donation portal.

Riverside Watercolor Painting Workshop
2025-01-22 13:00 - 15:00, 2025-05-10 13:00 - 15:00
Riverside Watercolor Painting Workshop will be a plein-air painting workshop featuring local artist and instructor – Bridget Bossart van Otterloo!
This outdoor painting program will be held at the Bottcher’s Landing Boat Launch in the Town of Big Flats. The workshop will take place in the shaded area under the pavilion, or participants can bring their own camping chairs and move around the property. Class size is limited and pre-registration is required.
Participants will be supplied with a variety of high-quality brushes, 140lb. cold-press watercolor paper, Wisner & Newton watercolor paints, palates, drawing boards, and filtered water from the river. Students will also receive instruction from a locally renowned artist and instructor – Bridget Bossart van Otterloo, and the artist will demonstrate different watercolor painting techniques for landscape painting.
Please bring a water bottle to reduce plastic waste. We will provide tables, snacks, refreshments, and all of the necessary art supplies.

River Talk at Ill Eagle Taphouse
2025-01-27 18:00 - 20:00
Join us in the 200 Lounge upstairs for a brew, a specialty cocktail, and some great food at Ill Eagle Taphouse while we chat about a wide range of topics surrounding our beautiful river. Our kickoff event will be presented by co-founder Jim Pfiffer. Jim will talk to us about where all the wildlife goes during winter, what to do and what not to do to help them thrive in the spring, and a little about our organization’s background. One free drink token will be given with each ticket sale to be used during the event!
Keep an eye out this summer for an expansion on this program involving additional locations, speakers, and an event passport with a special prize for completed passports!

Get Tickets

Cookies with Friends: Native Wildlife & Humans: A Love Story
2025-02-12 15:30 - 16:30

Coffee with Friends: Coexisting with our Wildlife
2025-02-15 09:00 - 10:00 | Chemung River Friends, 109 North Main St., Elmira, New York, 14901, United States
Lori Wheeler, wildlife rehabilitator, and founder of For the Love of Finn will educate us about how most harm to wild animals occurs because of something humans did. Lori will talk about the role of a wildlife rehabilitator and the steps that are taken to return an injured or sick animal back to their home.
The talks will be held at the Friends of the Chemung River office at 109 N. Main Street, Elmira, NY. A light breakfast, tea, and (of course) coffee will be served. Doors will open at 8:30am, and the talk will begin promptly at 9am and end at 10am to get you out and on your way to enjoying your weekend.
For more information, please contact our outreach coordinator at outreachcoordinator@chemungriverfriends.org.
A $10 per person donation is suggested, but not required. Donations can be made in person or through our online donation portal.

Chemung River & Watershed Clean-Up
2025-02-15 10:30 - 12:00, 2025-05-17 10:30 - 12:00
E-mail us for more information. Contact our outreach coordinator, Karen, at outreachcoordinator@chemungriverfriends.org for more information and check out our Facebook page for location details and additional scheduled cleanups!

River Talk at Ill Eagle Taphouse
2025-02-24 18:00 - 20:00, 2025-03-31 18:00 - 20:00, 2025-04-28 20:00, 2025-05-26 18:00 - 20:00
Join us in the 200 Lounge upstairs for a brew, a specialty cocktail, and some great food at Ill Eagle Taphouse while we chat about a wide range of topics surrounding our beautiful river. One free drink token will be given with each ticket sale to be used during the event!

Fly Tying 101
2025-03-01 10:30 - 23:30 | Chemung River Friends, 109 North Main St., Elmira, New York, 14901, United States
River Friends is happy to announce our second edition of Introduction to Fly Fishing: Fly Tying 101, which will be held at our downtown Elmira office on Saturday mornings during the month of March 2025. The course will be taught by our Board President Jim Emmick and will cover basic tools needed to tie flies, how to start and finish a fly, and some of the popular fly tying materials needed. All materials will be furnished, and participants will keep the flies they tie, which will include basic patterns for trout, bass and panfish fishing. The cost for the five-session workshop will be $30. The program will be limited to 5 participants, and we recommend you be at least 14 years old to join the program.
*This course is meant for beginning fly-tyers, previous participants will be considered after any new participants have signed up.

Cookies with Friends: Birds of a Feather
2025-03-12 15:30 - 16:30

Coffee with Friends: For the Love of Birds with Audubon
2025-03-15 09:00 - 10:00 | Chemung River Friends, 109 North Main St., Elmira, New York, 14901, United States
Birds are vital members of our ecosystem, and our local Chemung Valley Audubon Society has important information to share about protecting and caring for these amazing creatures.
The talks will be held at the Friends of the Chemung River office at 109 N. Main Street, Elmira, NY. A light breakfast, tea, and (of course) coffee will be served. Doors will open at 8:30am, and the talk will begin promptly at 9am and end at 10am to get you out and on your way to enjoying your weekend.
For more information, please contact our outreach coordinator at outreachcoordinator@chemungriverfriends.org.
A $10 per person donation is suggested, but not required. Donations can be made in person or through our online donation portal.

Chemung River & Watershed Cleanup
2025-03-15 10:30 - 12:00, 2025-04-19 10:30 - 12:00

Spring Break Camp
2025-04-14 09:00 - 13:00
Our spring break camp will be held from Monday – Wednesday, 9am – 1pm, at the Town of Elmira Community Center. Children will explore the nature trails, collect macroinvertebrates and frogs, make crafts, learn to paddle, and more! This camp sells out quickly–sign up for our newsletter to be the first to know when registration opens!
Ages 6 – 12.
Bring a pack lunch and water bottle.
Have sunscreen, bug spray, and dress for the weather! Most of our activities are outdoors, so children may need thick coats or umbrellas.

Cookies with Friends: Frogs and Toads are Friends
2025-04-16 15:30 - 16:30

Coffee with Friends: Haudenosaunee and the Chemung River
2025-04-19 09:00 - 10:00 | Chemung River Friends, 109 North Main St., Elmira, New York, 14901, United States
Duane Saxon and Jim Pfiffer will give a joint presentation on the history of the Haudenosaunee Native Americans and their relationship to the Chemung River. Duane is a member of the Chemung Valley Living History Center and performs hands-on presentations depicting a 1770’s Northeastern Woodland Indian, giving you a glimpse of their culture and living conditions in this region we call home.
The talks will be held at the Friends of the Chemung River office at 109 N. Main Street, Elmira, NY. A light breakfast, tea, and (of course) coffee will be served. Doors will open at 8:30am, and the talk will begin promptly at 9am and end at 10am to get you out and on your way to enjoying your weekend.
For more information, please contact our outreach coordinator at outreachcoordinator@chemungriverfriends.org.
A $10 per person donation is suggested, but not required. Donations can be made in person or through our online donation portal.

Cookies with Friends
2025-05-14 15:30 - 16:30, 2025-06-04 15:30 - 16:30

Coffee with Friends: Fun & Adventure on the River
2025-05-17 09:00 - 10:00 | Chemung River Friends, 109 North Main St., Elmira, New York, 14901, United States
Get ready for paddling season with this lively presentation by the co-founder of Chemung River Friends and hilarious story-teller, Jim Pfiffer. New and seasoned paddlers will enjoy Jim’s stories and benefit from his vast information.
The talks will be held at the Friends of the Chemung River office at 109 N. Main Street, Elmira, NY. A light breakfast, tea, and (of course) coffee will be served. Doors will open at 8:30am, and the talk will begin promptly at 9am and end at 10am to get you out and on your way to enjoying your weekend.
For more information, please contact our outreach coordinator at outreachcoordinator@chemungriverfriends.org.
A $10 per person donation is suggested, but not required. Donations can be made in person or through our online donation portal.

Beginner Paddle Safety Workshop & Pizza!
2025-06-04 17:30 - 19:30
Join our certified kayak instructor at Grove Street Boat Launch in Elmira, NY, to learn the basics of kayaking, including:

How to enter and exit a kayak;
How to enter your kayak if you are in deep water;
How to use a paddle and get the right size paddle;
How to use your paddle to communicate with other paddlers;
How to fit a life jacket;
How to prepare for a kayak trip;
And more!

Afterwards, you will be able to borrow one of our kayaks (or bring your own) and join our instructor in the water. The Chemung River at Grove Street Boat Launch is very calm thanks to the downstream dam. You will be paddling upstream and have plenty of help. You do not need to enter the water if you don’t want to, though!
Since this is a weeknight workshop, pizza is provided for all registrants at no cost.
There is no minimum age to participate and no previous kayaking or paddling experience is required. We will have two tandem kayaks available for caregivers who want to paddle with their child(ren). The tandem kayak will hold two adults, or one adult and two children.
Life jackets of various sizes will also be available, and participants are able to take their life jacket with them (while supplies last) after the program. Thanks to generous support from Hesselson’s, life jackets are free.
This program is free, but registration is required and you must sign the liability waiver to participate. When registration opens, the link will be posted here. Be the first one to know about registration by signing up for our newsletter!

Coffee with Friends: Macroinvertebrates or Stream Bugs
2025-06-07 09:00 - 10:00 | Chemung River Friends, 109 North Main St., Elmira, New York, 14901, United States
Macroinvertebrates are fascinating creatures that help maintain rivers and signal water quality. Liz Zilinski will share the why these “bugs” are so important to our waterways and how you can get your whole family involved in water quality monitoring with critter collection and some citizen science.
The talks will be held at the Friends of the Chemung River office at 109 N. Main Street, Elmira, NY. A light breakfast, tea, and (of course) coffee will be served. Doors will open at 8:30am, and the talk will begin promptly at 9am and end at 10am to get you out and on your way to enjoying your weekend.
For more information, please contact our outreach coordinator at outreachcoordinator@chemungriverfriends.org.
A $10 per person donation is suggested, but not required. Donations can be made in person or through our online donation portal.
