Sunday, May 18 | 9:00am

Geology Hike

If you love rocks or would like to learn more about the geological make-up of the area, we hope you will join us for our geology hike on May 18. The participants will meet at the kiosk at 9:00 am. The hike includes climbing a hill, walking on rocky and uneven ground, as well as bending over to view rocks.

This event is free and open to the public, but space is limited to 15. Register here: https://app.dvforms.net/api/dv/lqq93z

Sunday, May 18 | 12:00pm

Farm and Barn History Hours

Join us for the opening of the barn at Ivy Creek Natural Area and Historic River View Farm on May 18 from 12 - 2 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.

Thursday, May 22 | 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 fourth Thursday in May (5/22) 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, May 23 | 9:30am

Wildflower Hike

Join us on this hike to learn about and explore all the native wildflowers that will be blooming during this time. Tuesday, May 13 from 9:30 - 11:30 AM. Limited to 15 participants. Register here: https://app.dvforms.net/api/dv/zk9x5d

Friday, May 23 | 8:00pm

Fourth Fridays Under the Stars

Under The Stars is held on fourth Fridays.  Learn about upcoming celestial events in a short lecture given in the education building at 8:00 PM.  Afterwards, go outside where local area amateur astronomers will help point out constellations, planets, nebulae, star clusters, and distant galaxies.  Have a look through telescopes of the Charlottesville Astronomical Society, or bring your own. Telescopes will be in the field next to the parking lot at the Ivy Creek Natural Area.

Cloudy skies cancel.

Although this event is free and open to the public, we ask that you contact the Charlottesville Astronomical Society at vicepresident@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, May 24 | 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, April 26. Wear outdoor work clothes and close-toed shoes/boots. Registration: https://app.dvforms.net/api/dv/8llp92

Saturday, May 24 | 10:00am

Farm and Barn History Hours

Join us for the opening of the barn at Ivy Creek Natural Area on May 24 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. Enjoy the displays including natural history exhibits and farm equipment. Additionally, there are historical displays about the Carr/Greer family who built this barn and lived at River View Farm for over one hundred years.

Saturday, May 24 | 10:00am

Butterfly Walk - May

Join us on May 24th from 10:00 am - 12:00 pm to learn about butterflies with Mike Scott. Mike has been volunteering at Ivy Creek since 2000, teaching people about our local butterfly and moth species. While not a “school trained” entomologist, the information he shares comes from 50 years of observing, reading, raising caterpillars, and enjoying nature.

The butterfly walks that Mike leads each summer are aimed at teaching people how to quickly identify the most common species in our area by size, color, and behavior. He also emphasizes the importance of planting both nectar plants and caterpillar food plants to encourage multiple generations of butterflies in your own yard. The session will begin with about 30 minutes of classroom time and then we hit the trails to see what we can find. 

This event is free and open to the public but space is limited. Please sign up at https://app.dvforms.net/api/dv/o8kd3l.

Saturday, May 24 | 3:00pm

Photography Class: Designing a Photo - 14 Steps to Better Composition

Ansel Adams, one of the best-known photographers of the 20th century, famously said, "You don't take a photograph. You make it." In this presentation, you'll learn what he meant by that--and why it's the key to creating photographs that are far more pleasing to you and others than simple snapshots. 

The presenter is Gerry Bishop. Gerry spent his career as the editor of Ranger Rick, a children's nature magazine published by the National Wildlife Federation. He now serves as the Education Chair of the Charlottesville Camera Club, where he teaches and mentors the members in all aspects of photography. 

Registration: https://app.dvforms.net/api/dv/5vv0xv