Ivy Creek News and Notes: Fall 2019

In This Issue:

Events
Workshop: Learn to Attract Pollinators
Ivy Talk: Seeing and Sketching Ivy Creek
First Aid Course Benefits ICF
Master Naturalist Information Sessions

Milestones
ICF Celebrates Its 40 th Anniversary
Fall School Tour Season a Success
New Beginnings for Historic Farmhouse
Going Up! Bear-Proof Bird Feeder

Organizational Updates
Welcome New Board Members
Executive Director Search Update

Observations
Nature News: Witches’ Hats at Halloween

Get Involved
County Seeks Information on Missing Boat Trailer
Shopping on Amazon? Consider Helping ICF
Events
Workshop: Learn to Attract Pollinators
Pollinators are on the decline. What can we do to help? Find some answers at this workshop. Mary Lee Epps, Marilyn Smith and David Smith will teach you how to encourage them to visit your garden, receive seeds to start your own native plantings, build a mason bee house, and come away with a plan to enhance your pollinator habitat. Nov. 9, 9:30 AM – 2:00 PM at the Education Building. $25 for members/Friends of Ivy Creek, $40 for non-members. Register here .
Ivy Talk: Seeing and Sketching Ivy Creek
Virginia Greene, a local nature illustrator, will discuss the relationship between art and the natural sciences in the context of her own life as a biologist and artist. The value of sketching from nature and the basics of “seeing” nature with an artist’s intent will be covered, followed by a few optional drawing exercises using both specimens indoors and plants and animals outdoors. Materials and light refreshments will be provided. Nov. 10, 2:00 – 4:00 PM at the Education Building. Free. Come early; seating is limited.
First Aid Course Benefits ICF
The two-day Disaster/Travel/Wilderness First Aid course offered by MEDIC teaches hands-on how to save life & limb when far from a hospital during the critical minutes or hours before ambulance arrival. Hikers, travelers, or anyone who might find themselves in an emergency situation will learn what to do when emergency services are not quickly accessible. The course benefits the Ivy Creek Foundation, too, with 10% of the proceeds going to ICF. The course is Nov. 16-17 and costs $195. 

Master Naturalist Information Sessions
The Rivanna Chapter of the Virginia Master Naturalists is a valued partner of Ivy Creek Foundation that provides many hours of service to ICF, guiding tours, leading programs, and various other activities. If joining a volunteer corps dedicated to preserving our natural heritage appeals to you, check out one of their information sessions being held at Ivy Creek. They are on  Wednesday, Nov. 13, 9 AM; Sunday, Dec. 8 at 2 PM, and Wednesday, Dec. 11 at 9 AM. Already know you'd like to join the 2020 training class? It will run on Wednesday mornings from February 10 to May 20 with Wednesday afternoon and Saturday field trips.  All sessions will take place at Ivy Creek. Application forms are available at vmn-rivanna.org . Deadline for applying is January 3. Address to send them is in the instructions. For more information, email Sandy at rma.curriculum@gmail.com or call Ida Swenson at 434-996-8405 or email at idathefriz@gmail.com.
Milestones
ICF Celebrates 40th Anniversary
Forty years ago, the tireless work and dedication of local citizens resulted in the creation of Ivy Creek Natural Area and Ivy Creek Foundation. On October 13, we celebrated our anniversary with a special Ivy Talk by Dede Smith on the founding, followed by cake. The annual meeting and many thanks to the extended village that began and sustains Ivy Creek were also part of the event. Special thanks go to Marjie Giuliano and Lainie Rainwater for their inspiring celebration ideas!  This event was sponsored by Wild Birds Unlimited , to whom we are grateful and welcome as a corporate sponsor.
Fall School Tour Season a Success
by Catherine Boston
It has been a busy autumn for Ivy Creek’s educational programs.  In September and October our hard-working group of school guides, barn docents and little naturalist guides hosted close to 650 children at Ivy Creek programs.  We saw turtles, great blue herons and wood ducks; identified trees; identified the queen bee and watched the workers bringing in pollen; and talked about the contributions of the Carr/Greer family to the local community. Our core group of 40 guides and docents have many years of dedication to Ivy Creek and thanks to them the Foundation’s mission of education is thriving.

Special thanks also go out to the volunteer trail stewards who make possible our visits to the woods of Ivy Creek Natural Area.

We're preparing for more tours next spring. Contact Catherine Boston at catherine@ivycreekfoundation.org or (434) 973-7772.
New Beginnings for Historic Farmhouse
Ivy Creek Natural Area is home to the Carr/Greer Farmhouse, the centerpiece of River View Farm, a property acquired in 1870 by Hugh Carr, who had formerly been enslaved on a nearby farm. River View Farm was later owned and operated by Carr’s daughter, Mary Carr Greer, notable for her position as Principal of Albemarle Training School, and her husband Conly Greer, who served for 35 years as Albemarle County’s African American extension agent.

Today, Albemarle County and the City of Charlottesville serve as co-owners of River View Farm and the Carr/Greer Farmhouse. Ivy Creek Foundation, whose mission is connecting people with our lands, present and past, as steward of the cultural and natural history of the land, is working closely with both the County and the City on two important initiatives related to the farm and farmhouse—completing much-needed repairs to the building, and recognizing the significance of the property by seeking historic designation through listing in the National Register of Historic Places. October was an important month for both of these initiatives as Albemarle County issued an RFP to hire a contractor to begin repairs to the farmhouse, and ICF submitted initial paperwork required by the Virginia Department of Historic Resources for historic designation. We look forward to sharing more about these two projects as they progress and we move forward toward our goal of protecting and celebrating the legacy of River View Farm and the Carr/Greer family. 
Going Up! Bear-Proof Bird Feeding Station
After our bird feeders were destroyed by a hungry bear, Scott Karr of Wild Birds Unlimited saw a need and filled it, generously donating a bear-proof bird feeding station, with shipping donated by Lorna Werntz. Many thanks to them, and to our hardy volunteers for putting it up!
Tom Jones looks on as Karl Hohenstein sets the post in concrete.
Karl and Dan Nissen put the finishing touches on the squirrel baffle.
Ready for the birds!
Organizational Updates
Welcome New Board Members
ICF was pleased to welcome three new members to its board at the Annual Meeting: Karen Hall, John Scrivani and Sarita Herman. Karen is a familiar face to many, as she and her husband Ken Hall have maintained the barn observation beehive for nearly 15 years. Karen serves as Educational Outreach Coordinator for the Central Virginia Beekeeper’s Association. John is also no stranger to Ivy Creek, having previously served as board president (2000). John has many years of experience in GIS and forestry and serves as president of the Virginia Chapter of the American Chestnut Foundation. Sarita is a Historic Preservation Project Manager at the University of Virginia. She is currently acting as Project Manager for UVA’s Memorial to Enslaved Laborers.
Karen Hall
John Scrivani
Sarita Herman
Executive Director Search Update
The Executive Director Search Committee is pleased with the quality of the candidates and the number of applications received for the position.  They are currently conducting phone interviews to get a sense of their background and how it relates to the Executive Director roles and responsibilities.  Soon the committee will invite several of these candidates for face-to-face interviews.  Once that process has been completed, they will conduct a second interview with a few candidates. Look forward to an announcement soon!
Observations
Nature News: Witches' Hats at Halloween
 by Marlene A. Condon
Perhaps nothing is associated more with Halloween than witches who are always pictured as wearing conical black hats. In Virginia this month, you can see what appears to be small (about 3/8-inches tall), blackish witches’ hats on the aging leaves of a common native shrub called (can you believe it?) “Witch Hazel” (Hamamelis virginiana). 

Each “hat” is the result of a miniscule wingless female Witch Hazel Leaf Gall aphid ( Hormaphis hamamelidis) that hatched in spring from an egg left upon a branch the previous year. The purplish black, pear-shaped aphid made her way to a leaf bud to feed upon the plant’s sugary juices.

Get Involved
County Seeks Information on Missing Boat Trailer
A boat trailer that was inside the old garage behind the farmhouse at ICNA has disappeared. The trailer belongs to Albemarle County Parks and Recreation; County staff would appreciate any leads. Call Matt Smith at (434) 296-5844.
Shopping on Amazon? Consider Helping ICF
The holidays are right around the corner! If you shop through smile.amazon.com/ch/54-1112932, AmazonSmile gives ICF a portion of the proceeds. Every little bit helps!
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