Sunday, February 22 | 2:00pm

Ivy Talk: The Life and Legacy of Peachie Carr Jackson

Learn the story of a River View Farm-born educational and community champion by registering for this month’s virtual Ivy Talk with guest speaker Ivan Orr. Follow along as Orr explores the life and legacy of Peachie Carr Johnson Jackson, longtime Jefferson School educator, civic leader, and daughter of Hugh Carr. Teaching at the Jefferson School for 44 years, Jackson shaped generations of Charlottesville families while also serving for a time as President of the State Federation of Colored Women’s Clubs. Her story offers a window into Black women’s leadership, education as community stewardship, and the quiet endurance that sustained African American life during segregation and beyond. Ivan Orr is a Charlottesville-based musician, historical researcher, and cultural archivist whose work explores the intersections of Black history, memory, and place. A graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University (Jazz Studies/African-American Studies) his research focuses on the Jefferson School, African American education, and community life in Charlottesville across the 19th and 20th centuries. Through talks, performances, and archival projects, Orr connects local history to broader questions of resilience, stewardship, and cultural continuity.

Registration: https://secure.qgiv.com/for/ivycreekfoundation/event/2222026ivytalkthelifeandlegacyofpeachiecarrjackson/

Wednesday, February 25 | 10:00am

Winter Walk with a Tree Steward

Our partners, the Charlottesville Area Tree Stewards, are holding a fun and informative walk with Tree Steward David Marrs at Ivy Creek Natural Area and Historic River View Farm. David will begin the walk with a conversation about the area’s trees and landscapes, exploring how they reflect both cultural and natural history. The winter season is a wonderful time to see and learn more about a tree’s story and he will share tips for identifying the most common species.

This will be an easy to moderate walk on established trails that are well maintained with some inclines and declines. Our walk will be in the open and in wooded areas so we recommend wearing sturdy shoes or boots, dress in layers and bring water.

Please register at this link. Limited to 20 participants. Minors must be accompanied by a responsible adult. Meet at the Ivy Creek Natural Area kiosk as you go from the parking lot towards the barn.

Thursday, February 26 | 10:00am

Little Naturalists

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 the 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 fourth Thursday 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.

Friday, February 27 | 12:00pm

Fourth Friday Solar Viewing

Solar Observing sessions are scheduled for every fourth Friday of every month in 2026. The Charlottesville Astronomical Society will present and bring their special Solar telescope(s), which will allow us to safely see sunspots, solar flares and prominences, and other features on the living cauldron that is our sun.  We'll start at noon in the education building for a short presentation, then go outside to the field next to the parking lot at 12:20.  

Cloudy weather cancels.

Although this event is free and open to the public, we ask that you contact the Charlottesville Astronomical Society at ivycreek@cvilleastro.com if you plan to attend.  Only if at least one visitor makes contact and confirms attendance, can the CAS guarantee that they will be at Ivy Creek for their presentation and telescope observing session.

Saturday, February 28 | 9:00am

Volunteer Work Day - Saturday

Have you been looking for a way to give back to your community? Do you love Ivy Creek Natural Area and Historic River View Farm? Do you love being outside and making a difference? Then join us for our monthly public work day! We will be working on removing invasive plants, trail maintenance, and landscape restoration from 9 AM - 12 PM on Saturday, February 28. Wear outdoor work clothes and closed-toed shoes/boots. Registration link here.