Conservation and Restoration
Our region contains a plethora of beautiful birds, trees, wildflowers, and wildlife. We encourage you to explore our local wildlife sanctuaries and parks.
Programs for All Ages
Whether you are a seasoned birder or a parent looking to delight their children with the wonders of the outside world, we have something for everyone.
Est. March 27, 1950
For over half a century, we have monitored bird populations in the Chemung Valley of New York and helped to conserve and restore the natural ecosystems in our region.
No Membership Required...
But we think you'll want to join! All of our programs are free and open to the public, but our members receive special benefits.
Have you made a bird-inspired New Year’s resolution? I’d love to hear about your plans to help our wildlife thrive.Here at Audubon New York we have some exciting plans taking shape. On the coast, for instance, we’re launching a new resilience initiative to restore and enhance salt marsh and other priority habitats. In our forests, we’re expanding programs to help more land owners and managers improve our woods for wildlife.
Still haven’t made a decision about how to help birds soar into the new decade? Here are five fantastic options:
- Take action to defend America’s most important bird law. Ask your U.S. Representative to support the Migratory Bird Protection Act.
- Put in your seed orders for spring, with a focus on native plants.
- Enter your zip code into our new Climate Visualizer tool to see how rising temperatures and climate-related threats may affect your neighborhood and the birds you love. Learn what you can do to help via our Climate Action Handbook.
- Take yourself on a bird walk at one of our local centers, or attend an event to experience nature near you.
- Teach your friends and family an important lesson—how to tell the difference between a raven and a crow!
Ana Paula Tavares
Executive Director | Audubon New York
If you've ever had the pleasure of exploring our Northrup Hill or Gleason Sanctuaries, you may know that the Chemung Valley Audubon Society has a cabin in the Gleason Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary in Caton, NY, that has been used by the club for events over the years. The Ondura roof, installed over thirty years ago, was deteriorating, thereby allowing water to enter and damage the interior structure.
Recognizing the seriousness of this problem, the CVAS Board of Directors hired RJ Construction of Woodhull, NY, to re-roof the cabin with a 40-year-warranty metal roof. A green roof color was selected to blend in with the forest environment of the sanctuary. The roofing work was initiated on Wednesday, March 28, 2018, and completed on Saturday, March 31, 2018.
Once the old roofing material was removed, an inspection of the main structure found it to be in excellent condition. As part of the new roof, translucent panels were placed strategically in the roof, allowing sunlight to penetrate into the cabin and brighten up the room. The construction went very well, and CVAS members are very pleased with the work. It looks great!
The Board of Directors recognized that this project requires a substantial outlay of funds, but agreed the work is needed to protect the club's asset. The club would gratefully accept any donation to help assist with the funding of this project.
Visit our Gleason Sanctuary page to see the photo album highlighting the progression of work on the roof project. For the next phase of cabin improvements, club members will volunteer their time to repair the water-damaged interior sections of the cabin. Once completed, hopefully by this summer, the Audubon Chapter members can again utilize this facility and events can be planned.
Do stop up to Gleason for a nice spring walk on our trails and see the nice new green roof on our cabin!
Northrup Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary
In 2016, volunteers donated over 500 hours of their time for the restoration of our Northrup Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary in Rathbone, Steuben County.
Gleason Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary
Our 30-acre preserve in the Town of Caton, NY, beckons to all nature-lovers with its dozens of tree species and hundreds of animal and flower species.
CVAS Monthly Meeting
Meet in the Main Dining Room at Appleridge (Map) for a lively discussion about birding and a presentation from one of our knowledgeable hosts. A bird identification workshop begins at 7:00pm, and the program begins at 7:30pm. All are welcome to these free events.
7:00pm | Thursday | March 19
Community Programs
Our free, family-friendly Nature Strollers program runs from May to December, and we hope you'll join us for this and our other popular programs throughout the year, including:
Bird Sleuth | A lively program for school-aged children that teaches key concepts, including diversity, adaptations, food webs, and more, through hands-on learning.
CVAS Book Club | The CVAS book club meets on Thursdays. For meeting information and a list of the books we'll be reading, please click here.
Native Plants for Your Home and Garden
Bring birds and pollinators to your home today by growing native plants. Find the best plants for the pollinators and birds for your yard. Growing bird-friendly plants will attract and protect the birds you love while making your space beautiful, easy to care for, and better for the environment. Explore native plant resources by clicking the link below.
National Audubon Society
Chemung Valley Audubon Society is a chapter of the National Audubon Society. The NAS is an invaluable resource for any Audubon enthusiast.