Sunday, September 14 | 10:00am

Farm and Barn History Hours

Join us for the opening of the barn at Ivy Creek Natural Area and Historic River View Farm on September 14 from 10 AM - 12 PM. This was formerly the showpiece of the working farm known as River View Farm. It is also one of the reasons that River View Farm is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, along with the contributions of the Carr/Greer family to their community. Come and learn about the family, their work, and the historic exhibits featuring equipment used on the farm.

Sunday, September 14 | 2:00pm

Annual Meeting and Ivy Talk

Join us for the Annual Meeting of the Ivy Creek Foundation! This event is free and open to the public. This meeting includes a public meeting of the Ivy Creek Foundation Board, a report from our Executive Director Sue Erhardt, and a report from ICF Treasurer Ted Coates. The Annual Meeting will conclude with an Ivy Talk by Dr. Teresa Leslie, ICF Board President and a descendant of River View Farm, on "Practicing Democracy: Lessons from River View Farm and the Hydraulic Mills/Union Ridge Community."

Practicing democracy refers to the ways citizens actively participate in and contribute to the functioning of a democratic society and includes a variety of actions that aim to uphold democratic values, ensure accountability, and promote the collective well-being of the community.  Using the example of River View Farm and the Hydraulic Mills/Union Ridge community, this Ivy Talk will explore how, as new citizens, post emancipation African Americans strove for the American ideal of equality, imagining and practicing democracy from the community level (bottom-up).

Registration: https://secure.qgiv.com/for/ivycreekfoundation/event/91425ivycreeknaturalareaandhistoricriverviewfarmannualmeeting/

Thursday, September 18 | 5:30pm

Forest Health Walk

What makes a forest healthy? On September 18 at 5:30 PM, join Ellen Powell of Virginia Department of Forestry for an exploration of factors that indicate a healthy forest ecosystem. We’ll examine multiple aspects of health, from the forest as a system to the trees in your backyard. Be prepared to help gather some data for the forest’s wellness check-up!

Saturday, September 20 | 7:30am

Young Birder's Club

The Young Birder’s Club, a part of the Piedmont Bird Club, is available for youth between the ages of 7-16 interested in exploring Virginia’s natural world, with a focus on birds. With leaders and mentors, they explore various natural world settings seeking bird sightings in order to discover how to identify birds through sight, sound, behaviors, and habitat. It is free of charge. A parent/grandparent/guardian must remain on site with the minors and are welcome to accompany the group.

The group meets the first and third Saturdays each month in the ICNA parking lot at 7:30 AM. The birding activity takes approximately two hours. This program was recently approved for a $500 grant from the VSO (Virginia Society of Ornithologists) to support the program. These funds will be used to purchase new binoculars! Group mentors and leaders include include Reed Keller, a graduate from the original bird club, Tom Rapp, Louis Sokolow, Carol Wise, and Janet Paisley, members of the Piedmont Bird Club. In September, the group is hopes to offer an offsite visit to Afton Mountain to observe the hawk migration. Parents and guardians are responsible for transporting their child/children.

For more information, please contact Janet at paisley.janet@gmail.com.

Saturday, September 20 | 9:00am

September Native Plant Walk

Join guide Phil Stokes on September 20 to see fields abundant with colorful wildflowers in peak bloom.  We'll find several different species of common goldenrods, asters, bonesets, and tick trefoils.  We'll also search for scarcer wildflowers including orchid lesser ladies tresses and horsemint with its unusual combination of colors.  Along the route we'll also find trees having well developed fruits and nuts such as persimmon and sassafras.  Walk time 9:00 - 11:30. Meet by the kiosk near the parking lot.. Free and open to the public.Co-sponsored by the Jefferson Chapter Virginia Native Plant Society and the Ivy Creek Foundation.

Saturday, September 20 | 10:00am

Little Naturalists - Saturday

Introduce your three- to five-year-old to nature! Trained guides explore topics such as food chains, hibernation, how trees grow and more with three- to five-year-olds and their accompanying adults. The program starts indoors for 20-30 minutes where the children engage with the guides through reading nature centered books and doing a hands-on activity related to the learning in the book. This is followed with a short moderate hike on one of the ICNA trails. Little Naturalists meet  on the second Mondays, third Saturdays, and fourth Thursdays of every month. Gatherings are held from 10:00 to 11:30 am. We prefer that people preregister for these programs. The link to register for the next third Saturday is here.  Siblings are also welcome to attend.

Little Naturalists follow the weather cancellation policies for Albemarle County Schools.  When the schools are closed or there is a late opening, the Little Naturalists will not meet on that day.

Saturday, September 20 | 3:00pm

Photography Program: Capturing the Beauty of Birds

If you've ever tried photographing birds, you know how difficult--and frustrating--it can be. But with the right gear and know-how, you can make this challenge far easier. In this presentation and demonstration, Jim Wolfe--a highly experienced bird photographer from the Charlottesville Camera Club--will introduce you to the tools and techniques he uses so successfully. The bonus will be seeing many of the beautiful photos of birds Jim has created over the years.

Registration: https://secure.qgiv.com/for/ivycreekfoundation/event/9202025photographyprogramcapturingthebeautyofbirds/