The Ivy Creek Foundation, a community-supported non-profit organization, offers free nature programs and hikes throughout the year. The Foundation also sponsors courses on natural history through Piedmont Virginia Community College, and maintains an energetic corps of volunteer guides who, each year, lead education tours for more than 3000 schoolchildren. Your membership, event participation and reports of wildlife sightings are most welcome.

Because fish populations fluctuate dramatically, up-to-date records are difficult to maintain. The following is a list of the most commonly encountered species in the reservoir and Martin’s Branch.

Amphibians cannot internally control their body temperature; therefore they must seek shelter during winter. Many prefer underground burrows or rotting logs; some remain underwater or nestle in mud, absorbing oxygen through their skin. Mass movements to breeding sites often occur with the first warm rains of late winter and early spring.

Opportunities for encountering turtles, lizards, and snakes at the Natural Area are plentiful. Patience and respect for these shy animals often yield rewarding insights into their intriguing lifestyles.

Most snakes hide by day, prowl by night, and spend the winter underground or in deep rock crevices. Snakes are timid and retreating by nature; those that bite will do so only if provoked. (Advice from UVa Health System regarding snake bites is available here.)

Characteristics of mammals include hair, well-developed teeth, and milk glands for nursing their young. Mammals have the ability (along with birds) to internally regulate body temperature which allows many to remain active year-round and to inhabit harsh environments. During extreme cold, some species “hole up” in dens or burrows. Other hibernate underground the entire winter. Some bat species migrate to warmer areas.

Most mammals possess keen senses, especially hearing and smell. Quietly walking the trails in early morning or evening provides the best opportunity for an encounter.

NOTE: True hibernation entails a state of deep sleep with greatly reduced metabolism. Hibernators may become active during warm spells.

All birds are warm-blooded, lay eggs, and have feathers for insulation and (for most) flight. Because of their high metabolism, they spend considerable time hunting food. It is not uncommon for some species to ingest a third or more of their body weight each day. Beaks are a good indicator of food preference — short and thick for cracking seeds (finches); long and thin to probe for insects (warblers); sharp and hooked for tearing flesh (hawks).

When advertising for mates or defending territory, birds utilize intriguing methods of attracting attention. Many have developed elaborate songs. Some dance, fake injury, grunt, or bang on trees, the ground, buildings, and each other. Observing bird behavior adds much to the pleasure of birdwatching.

Note: Seasons and habitats for the following list have been generalized — many variations occur. (Seasons: sp = spring, s = summer, f = fall, w = winter)