Description
Since its founding in 1979, the Ivy Creek Foundation has managed the Ivy Creek Natural Area (ICNA), founded in 1978, for education and enjoyment. The unique qualities of the Natural Area include a 215-acre preserve bordering the South Fork Rivanna Reservoir made up of a mix of upland woods, pine stands, old fields and streams. The local citizens valued the area for its natural beauty and diverse wildlife. ICNA has been set aside in perpetuity for free public use and is jointly owned by Albemarle County and the City of Charlottesville. The Foundation built and now maintains about seven miles of rustic footpaths designed to leave large tracts of wildlife habitat intact, enjoyed year round by individuals seeking peace and quiet, walking and hiking, or observing and studying wildlife and nature.
Since its inception, the Ivy Creek Foundation has recognized and celebrated the spectacular human history of the Ivy Creek Natural Area. Rising from slavery, the Carr family came to own more than 200 acres of prime farmland, keeping it in the family for nearly a century.
In 1997, the Ivy Creek Foundation facilitated the creation of the Ragged Mountain Natural Area (RMNA). Again, the Foundation built and now maintains more than seven miles of walking trails allowing access to one of the most spectacular wildlife areas in Albemarle County.
