Hoffler Creek Wildlife Preserve
A Place Where Learning Comes Naturally and Wonders Never Cease
Students of all ages visit Hoffler Creek on field trips to explore the natural habitat and learn about projects like butterfly conservation.
Hoffler Creek Wildlife Preserve is a 142-acre natural wonder tucked in the Churchland area of Portsmouth. “Our claim to fame is that we are the only urban wildlife preserve in Virginia. The key word is ‘urban,’” says Ashley Morgan, executive director of Hoffler Creek Wildlife Foundation (HCWF) that manages the preserve. “Being in the middle of the busy Hampton Roads area, we focus on managing the preserve for both wildlife and people.”
The Foundation has four components to its mission:
- Conservation: The preserve supports myriad wildlife native to the area. The foundation uses environmental principles – solar energy, rain barrels, living shorelines, and pollinator gardens.
- Education: Learning comes to life through hands-on educational programs for people of all ages – bird walks, guided and self-guided tours, boating courses, oyster restoration efforts, and butterfly conservation.
- Research: The preserve is an outdoor laboratory for exploring its habitats – a man-made lake, tidal creek, salt marshes, and native forests. Studies by scientists, teachers, and students provide important data for managing the preserve’s natural resources.
- Recreation: Residents and tourists visit the preserve to experience the wonders of the natural world through recreational activities like hiking, birdwatching, nature photography, wildlife observation, kayaking, and picnicking.
The Hoffler Creek Wildlife Preserve is a natural wonder in the midst of an urban environment. Visitors can enjoy a wide variety of activities including kayaking, nature walks, and birdwatching.
From the 1850s through 1970, the property was home to the Ballard family, who cultivated fruits and vegetables that were distributed to markets along the East Coast. Ray Strutton, foundation board president, has been with the organization since 1995 and describes the history. “Beginning in 1970, the land was used by VDOT as a borrow pit while construction was underway on Route I-664 and the Western Freeway. When that project was complete, the land was going to be sold to a local developer. But we looked at the plans and saw that only a handful of houses could be built on the property because of wetlands and buffers. So the citizens in the neighborhood got together and formed the Hoffler Creek Wildlife Foundation.”
In August 1996, Portsmouth City Council voted unanimously to accept the property from VDOT for the price of $1 under the condition that the foundation would be responsible for establishing the preserve and maintaining the land. The foundation went on to raise local funds and source state and federal government resources to create the infrastructure that included the headquarters building, an educational pavilion, a pier over the lake, and a kayak dock. “It was a wonderful community effort with a lot of people working together to get us to where we are today,” Ray says.
TowneBank Churchland office manager Becky Zambas serves on the Hoffler Creek Wildlife Foundation board and is a dedicated supporter of the preserve. “TowneBank has been with us for years and really helped us out when we had a fire at the preserve a couple of years ago,” Ray says. “We are close to having everything rebuilt, and we are thankful to Towne for helping with the restoration.”
Hoffler Creek Wildlife Preserve is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 AM to 4 PM and admission is free. The preserve can always use volunteer help. “With our small staff, it takes a lot of volunteers to keep the trails clear, clean up after storms, and help with landscaping projects. We depend greatly on the community,” Ashley says. To sign up for a monthly newsletter with information on volunteer activities and other events, visit HofflerCreek.org.