Monday, October 12 | 10:00am

Little Naturalists

We start our connections to the natural world of Ivy Creek at a young age with Little Naturalists. Trained guides explore topics such as food chains, hibernation, how trees grow, and more with 3 to 5-year-olds and their accompanying adults. The program starts indoors for 20-30 minutes where the children engage with guides through reading nature-centered books and doing a hands-on activity related to the day’s topic. This is followed by a short hike.

Little Naturalists meet  on the second Mondays and third Saturdays. 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 Monday program 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.

Tuesday, October 13 | 9:30am

Guided Walk: Fall Season at Ivy Creek

Celebrate the arrival of the fall season with Charlottesville Area Tree Steward David Marrs for an informational and enjoyable guided walk at Ivy Creek Natural Area.

David will begin our walk with a conversation about trees and landscapes as we enter the fall season. The landscapes are changing with leaves starting to show their true colors. Fall season shows us many seeding options which we will look for. We will explore a new route this time looking for new tree stories!

Our walk will be on easy to moderate established trails with some inclines and declines in open areas and on trails in the forest, so dress accordingly.

Please meet at the Ivy Creek kiosk as you go from the parking lot to the barn. We recommend wearing long pants, sturdy shoes, dressing in layers, and bringing water.

This walk is free, but registration is required. Please register here.

Saturday, October 17 | 9:00am

October Native Plant Walk

Join Mary Jane Epps, Natural Areas Biologist at the  Division of Natural Heritage and Jefferson Chapter, Virginia Native Plant Society member, to hunt for mushrooms and other fungi and learn about how they interact with plants and animals to shape the ecology of our forests.  Fall is the peak mushroom season in our area so there should be lots to discover.  Co-sponsors:  Jefferson Chapter, VNPS, and Ivy Creek Natural Area & Historic River View Farm.  Meet by the kiosk near the parking lot at 9:00 am. Free and open to the public.

Saturday, October 17 | 11:00am

Farm Day

Bring the whole family out for our annual Farm Day celebration on October 17th from 11:00 until 3:00! Ivy Creek will be busy with exhibitors from across the commonwealth sharing about their own farming, local history, and Black agriculture in honor of River View Farm's legacy. We will be offering tours of our historic dairy barn, hands-on crafts, and a chance to support local farmers. See livestock back at River View Farm! Enjoy delicious snacks from a local vendor, M.A.D. Vegan! Come for the fun activities at our Kids Tent, the chance to meet a local farmer, or the promise of learning more about African American farming in the past, present, and future!