Events Calendar

Each year, Schiff strives to show inspiring environmental films, offer a friendly low-key community gathering, raise funds for Schiff, and promote learning and discussion of important environmental issues. A true community event, the Environmental Film Festival held at Schiff Nature Preserve allows our visitors to explore the preserve in a unique manner. The night of the festival, the Wood Badge Lodge is transformed into a wonderful Woodland Theatre. With the fire pit ablaze and folks gathering and socializing on the picnic benches and seating strewn around the fire, we enjoy catching up with our EFF guests and Schiff members as we wait for dusk to arrive. Schiff provides the hayride, the alfresco movie experience, a primitive latrine, picnic bench and lawn chair seating, freshly made popcorn, and water. You may hike up or take the hayride, but be sure to bring a picnic dinner, beverages, and a friend or two! For those with ambulatory limitations, please be advised of the rocky and uneven terrain adjacent to the Wood Badge Lodge. All proceeds of the evening support the mission of Schiff Natural Lands Trust. This Year's Feature Film: THE AMERICAN RIVER Mary Bruno spent her childhood fearing the polluted stretch of the Passaic River near her home. Decades later, she returns to rediscover the river of her youth. AMERICAN RIVER is a cinematic adventure that follows Ms. Bruno and river guide Carl Alderson on a 4 ‐day, 80‐mile kayak journey from the Passaic's pristine headwaters to its toxic mouth in Newark Bay. Along the way, candid conversations with residents, experts and advocates reveal the Passaic's extraordinary history, geology, and ecology: How did this powerful and once‐celebrated river become one of the most contaminated in America? Can it be saved? AMERICAN RIVER Three years in the making, AMERICAN RIVER was directed by seasoned filmmaker Scott Morris and based on Ms. Bruno's 2012 book, An American River: From Paradise to Superfund. Like the book, the film is a unique blend of personal memoir, adventure, history, and science. Mary and Carl explore the Passaic's beauty, navigate its many twists and turns, pass through cities including Paterson and Great Falls and visit Mary's hometown as they head towards the industrial disaster that poisoned the Passaic for the past 60 years. The entire journey was captured in both grand and intimate scale from the water, land, and air by an experienced crew with ten 4K cameras. Mary and Carl's dynamic personalities bring insight, urgency, and humor to every scene. An original score, graphic animation and rare archival images enrich the story. S. Dillard Kirby is Executive Producer; AMERICAN RIVER is his second film project with Scott Morris. Lovers of environmental documentary movies who also enjoy a good hike to a magical outdoor venue within the preserve, please consider selecting the NEW Schiff membership/EFF ticket bundle price. The EFF/Membership ticket bundle price is $65. Member fee is $20. Non- member fee is $25. Senior (65+) and Student fee is $15. In the event of light rain, the event will stand. We will show the films inside the Wood Badge Lodge.