Sunday, October 12 | 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 October 12 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.

Monday, October 13 | 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 3 to 5 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 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.

Wednesday, October 15 | 9:00am

Invasive Plant Control Work Day - Morning Session

Come join the Virginia Department of Forestry for a free training about invasive plants, how to control them, and participate in a hands-on workday clearing invasive species at Ivy Creek! There will be two sessions on October 15, one from 9 AM - 12 PM, and one from 1 PM - 4 PM. Please RSVP to katlin.mooneyham@dof.virginia.gov. More information to follow.

Wednesday, October 15 | 1:00pm

Invasive Plant Control Work Day - Afternoon Session

Come join the Virginia Department of Forestry for a free training about invasive plants, how to control them, and participate in a hands-on workday clearing invasive species at Ivy Creek! There will be two sessions on October 15, one from 9 AM - 12 PM, and one from 1 PM - 4 PM. Please RSVP to katlin.mooneyham@dof.virginia.gov. More information to follow.

Saturday, October 18 | 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, October 18 | 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.  Meet by the kiosk near the parking lot at 9:00 am. Free and open to the public.

Saturday, October 18 | 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, October 18 | 3:00pm

Small Wonders — All You Need to Know About Macro (Close-up) Photography

Learning to take close-up photos will reveal to yourself—and to others—a whole new world that often goes unnoticed and unappreciated. This presentation on October 18 from 3:00 to 4:30 PM will cover essential equipment, key techniques, and other tips to help you create stunning photos of the miniature marvels all around us. 

Registration: https://secure.qgiv.com/for/ivycreekfoundation/event/101825smallwondersallyouneedtoknowaboutmacrocloseupphotography/