Home - Friends of the Verde River

Announcing

Welcome Rachel Laura, Deputy Executive Director

Please join us in giving a warm welcome to Rachel Laura, the new Deputy Executive Director at Friends of the Verde River! Rachel brings over a decade of experience in conservation and is currently pursuing her PhD in Natural Resource and Environmental Sciences, where she studies firefly distribution and ecology in arid environments. We’re thrilled to have her expertise and leadership as we continue our mission to protect the Verde River for years to come!

2025 Winter Newsletter

Dive into Friends of the Verde River’s 2025 Winter Newsletter, showcasing highlights from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Day of Service, River Friendly Living grants, BioBlitz, Fossil Creek restoration, key highlights and more.

Read the Newsletter

On Sale

Discover the Magic of the Verde River with Our Book

Have you heard about our beautifully illustrated children’s book, On the Verde River? It was recently featured at the 2024 National Book Festival as part of the Library of Congress’s “Great Reads” program, representing Arizona’s literary heritage.

Written by Arizona author Phoebe Fox, with stunning illustrations by Jim Fox, On the Verde River takes children on a captivating journey along the Verde River, introducing them to the diverse life and beauty of this important ecosystem. Perfect for children aged 2 to 10, this hardcover book nurtures curiosity, environmental awareness, and a love of nature.

Special Gift Package: $40 – Includes the hardcover book, an adorable stuffed otter, a heron patch and a blank greeting card. This makes a wonderful gift for birthdays, holidays, or any special occasion.

Buy the book

About Us

Keeping the Verde Flowing!

The Verde River is one of Arizona’s few remaining flowing rivers. The river and its tributaries, such as Granite Creek, Sycamore Creek, Oak Creek, and Fossil Creek, provide lush corridors of life as they wind their way through beautiful, iconic, and arid landscapes. The Verde River system is an environmental and cultural treasure for local communities, the state of Arizona, and beyond.

Friends of the Verde River (Friends) envisions a healthy, flowing Verde River and tributaries that support our natural environment, vibrant communities, and quality of life for future generations.

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Our Approach

We focus our work on restoring habitat, sustaining river flows, and building supportive communities. We proactively engage in a combination of “boots-on-the-ground” projects and policy solutions guided by sound conservation principles and which meet human and environmental needs in an outcomes-oriented manner. Below are some of our initiatives:

Water

Land

People

Climate

Events and Information

What’s New

Upcoming Events

Tilted Earth 2025

Help us fundraise by partying! Join us for Tilted Earth, Arizona’s premier wine and music festival. Saturday, June 21 at Page Springs Cellars in Cornville.

Arizona Gives Day graphic with Verde River background

Arizona Gives Day 2025

Our goal is to raise $40,000 by April 1 to support key conservation projects for the Verde River. Together, we can ensure the Verde River thrives for generations to come.

Two people using a phone and the iNaturalist app to identify a plant

Verde BioBlitz 2025

Join the Verde BioBlitz, a free event from April 16-May 3, 2025, where participants explore the Verde River watershed to discover and document local species through the iNaturalist app.

See More Events

Event Sponsorship

Become an Event Sponsor

Our Event Sponsors are important partners who enjoy special recognition and other perks.

For more information, contact:
Grace Filson, Events and Fundraising Coordinator
contactus@verderiver.org

Download Our Sponsorship Packet

In the Know

Stay Informed on all things Verde River

Friends respects the privacy of individual donors and, except where disclosure is required by law, will not sell or otherwise make available the names and contact information of donors without providing them an opportunity at least once a year to opt out of the use of their names.

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Friends respects the privacy of individual donors and, except where disclosure is required by law, will not sell or otherwise make available the names and contact information of donors without providing them an opportunity at least once a year to opt out of the use of their names.

Make an Impact

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River Friendly Living

Empowering local residents, businesses, and governments to make choices that protect the Verde River.

Volunteer

The Verde River needs your help! Volunteers are critical to the work we do and we would love for you to join us in our efforts.

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Donate

You can protect the Verde River and its threatened wildlife today!

Become an Otter Spotter

Become a Water Quality Volunteer