The Saturday, February 7, Birding Walk @ Lake by Indian River Civic Campus is cancelled. The forecast is for 30 to 40 mph winds and a wind chill of 8° F. All our feathered friends will be sheltering from the weather and so will we. Stay warm.
Friday, February 6, 2026
Sunday, February 1, 2026
February Newsletter and Events
- Upcoming Events
Tuesday, February 3, 6:30 pm: Town Meeting @ Indian River High SchoolSaturday, February 7, 8:30 am: Birding Walk @ Lake by Indian River Civic Campus- Weed Warrior Wednesdays, 1 pm - Feb 4, 11, and 25 @ Indian River Park
- News
- Chesapeake 2045 Comprehensive Plan
- Friends of Indian River Annual Meeting
- January Recap
Upcoming Events
CancelledLocation: Indian River High SchoolThe City is scheduled to hold a Town Meeting on Tuesday, February 3, from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. at Indian River High School (1969 Braves Trail). Residents are encouraged to attend at their leisure to discuss topics of interest with City Council members and City staff. For more information, visit www.CityOfChesapeake.net/TownMeetings
Saturday, February 7, 2026: Birding Walk @ Lake by Indian River Civic Campus
- CANCELLED
Location: Meet at the Indian River Community Center, 2250 Old Greenbrier Rd.- We're doing our annual birding walk a week early this year. Join us for a guided bird walk around the lake between the Indian River Community/Rec Center and the High School.
- Previous years we've been treated with seeing Bald Eagles, Great Blue Herons, Ospreys, Bluebirds, various species of woodpeckers, and a large variety of waterfowl on the lake.
- We'll have some binoculars and a spotting scope, but do bring your own if you have some!
- Please pre-register at https://forms.gle/fzyoJdQPuZKdSPvw8. Suggested but not required.
Weed Warrior Wednesdays - Feb 4, 11, and 25 @ Indian River Park
- From 1 pm to 3 pm
- Location: Indian River Park entrance at Rokeby Ave. and Main St. (2003 Rokeby Ave.)
- Chesapeake Parks, Recreation and Tourism is leading Weed Warrior Wednesday volunteer events at Indian River Park in February to remove invasive plants in the park.
- Please bring your own work gloves, water bottle, snack, sunscreen, bug spray, and other items you may need for all of the activities listed below. Please wear long sleeves, long pants, and closed-toe shoes and dress for the conditions. These activities are for ages 14 and up.
- Please see sign up instructions at https://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040c4aacae2eaaf58-fall
Chesapeake 2045 Comprehensive Plan
The City Council approved the new, revised Chesapeake 2045 Comprehensive Plan for the City on January 20. This is the culmination of 2 years of effort by the Planning Department. The Plan serves as the city's blueprint for future growth, development, and preservation of resources. It is a key tool used by the Planning Department when reviewing and approving zoning applications. While there were some areas where we felt the plan could have had stronger policies or environmental protection, overall, the document presented a strong vision for creating a high-quality future for the City that is proactive about developing necessary infrastructure, protects green and open space, works to connect people, and respects the unique character of different parts of the City. The plan references and adopts existing local area plans, such as the Indian River Planning Area Study approved in 2021. The final plan can be found at https://www.cityofchesapeake.net/3275/2045-Comprehensive-Plan
Friends of Indian River Annual Meeting
We had a lively Annual Meeting on January 15, discussing plans for the coming year. The Friends of Indian River have been very effective since the group was established in 2012. The Friends have been key stakeholders and drivers for many local improvements, including the Indian River Small Area Plan, the City acquisition and replacement of the Aqua Virginia Water System, improved trail management at Indian River Park, and the creation of Blue Heron Landing Park. We maintain two native plant gardens and other planting areas, organize regular cleanups that have removed over 20,000 lbs. of litter and debris, and have performed over 11,000 hours of volunteer service over the last 14 years. But we can't rest on our laurels and are looking at this year to revitalize the organization, strengthen our volunteer base and membership, increase outreach, and prepare new leadership to carry the organization forward. Stay tuned for opportunities to get involved!
January Recap
Have an idea for an article for our newsletter? Send your submission, max 250 words, to us at info@friendsofindianriver.org along with a photo and we'll consider it for our next editi
Saturday, January 3, 2026
January Newsletter and Events
- Upcoming Events
- Thursday, January 15, 2026: Annual Meeting
- Saturday, January 17, 2026: Adopt-A-Park - Invasive Species Workshop @ Indian River Park
- News
- 2025 Year in Review
- December Recap
- Upcoming Winter Events Flier
Upcoming Events
Thursday, January 15, 2026: Annual Meeting
- 7 pm to 8:30 pm
- Location: Oaklette United Methodist Church, 520 Oaklette Drive
- Join us for our Annual Meeting and Volunteer Recognition. We will hold elections and use the meeting to brainstorm ideas on how to get more people actively involved in our efforts to improve the quality of life for all the residents of our community.
- We will also recognize our existing volunteers and the great work they do. There will be refreshments and desserts. Whether you've been supporting us for years or are just curious to learn more about who we are, all are welcome to attend the meeting.
- All are welcome. We'll also have the latest community news and updates! There will be light refreshments for the meeting.
Saturday, January 17, 2026: Adopt-A-Park - Invasive Species Workshop @ Indian River Park
- NEW LOCATION: Meet at the Indian River Park Miller Avenue Entrance - at the south end of Miller Avenue. GPS address 2329 Miller Avenue, Chesapeake, Virginia
- From 9:00 am to Noon.
- Learn to identify various invasive plant species that threaten Indian River Park and natural areas across the Tidewater region. Those found in the park include English Ivy, Chinese Privet, Multifloral Rose, Linden Viburnum, and others.
- Then we'll have a work effort to manage some outbreaks of English Ivy. The more volunteers that come out, the more that we can accomplish!
- Please wear closed-toe shoes, long pants, a hat and bring work gloves. Bring pruning clippers, loppers, screwdrivers (which are amazingly useful in prying ivy off tree trunks) and/or pruning saws if you have them. We will have water and snacks, but we also always encourage folks to bring their own water in reusable bottles to minimize the use of plastic bottles. Participants under 18 years of age must have adult supervision.
- Please pre-register at https://forms.gle/r1paWMWKGaJ4HjAa6, suggested but not required.
2025 Year in Review
2025 was a year for progress along the Indian River Road corridor. The rehabilitation of the Oaklette Bridge was completed. The City Council approved the Indian River Design Guidelines, laying out design criteria for new development or redevelopment along Indian River Road, Providence Road, and the eastern portion of Military Highway. The owners of the Indian River Shopping Center continued revitalization efforts with new facades, tree plantings, and expectations for the opening of a grocery store in early 2026. Expansions or rehabilitation work continued at several other establishments along Indian River Road. And designs for safety improvements by Public Works along Indian River Roads are reported to be 90% complete, although we're still waiting to hear about implementation dates.
The Friends of Indian River continued our volunteer and advocacy work with cleanups, gardening, civic engagement, and input to the City on planning and project implementation. Overall, 125 volunteers contributed over 850 volunteer hours in 2025.
Please join us at our Annual Meeting and Volunteer Recognition on Thursday, January 15, 7 pm at Oaklette United Methodist Church, 520 Oaklette Drive. As an organization, we are very proud of all that we have accomplished last year – and over the previous 14 years. But we can’t rest on our laurels. In 2026, we are looking to reinvigorate the organization and build our membership and active supporters. We will use the meeting to brainstorm ideas on how to get more people actively involved in our efforts to improve the quality of life for all the residents of our community. We will also recognize our existing volunteers and the great work they do. There will be refreshments and desserts. Whether you've been supporting us for years or are just curious to learn more about who we are, all are welcome to attend the meeting.
Read our full Year End Report here.
Thank you to the dozen volunteers who braved the cold, damp morning in December to help with our Adopt-A-Road cleanup along Indian River Road. We removed about 250 lbs. of litter and debris!
In mid-December, about two dozen members and supporters gathered at La Hacienda Restaurant on Military Highway at Robert Hall Blvd. for a festive Holiday Dinner. Good times and good food for all!
Upcoming Winter Event Flier
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