The Alice Ferguson Foundation operates three core programs:
Each year, thousands of children from the Washington, DC metropolitan area experience environmental and agricultural hands-on learning through field studies at the Foundation's 330-acre Hard Bargain Farm. As 45% of these students are from underserved, at-risk communities, this is often their first nature experience. This initial encounter with nature profoundly affects students as well as the impact they can have on our environment and natural resources. "Green shock" is the astonished look on a child's face when he or she touches a real live cow or chicken for the first time. Within hours, that look softens into appreciation, wonder, and excitement! In partnership with the National Park Service and area schools, our Bridging The Watershed program provides personally meaningful, educational experiences that connect students to their role in the natural and cultural world. Each year, thousands of students from the Washington, DC region visit local national parks with their science classes as part of this program. These trips provide an authentic experience for students that allow them to take measurements and make field observations-just like a scientist. Since 1989, more than 90,000 volunteers have teamed with 400 partner organizations to haul more than 3 million tons of trash from the watershed during the Annual Potomac River Watershed Cleanup. The success of the Cleanup led to the creation of the Trash Free Potomac Watershed Initiative in 2005. The Trash Free Potomac Watershed Initiative focuses on trash disposal and provides a forum for active citizenship-catalyzing a diverse network of citizens, businesses, and elected officials to achieve the Initiative's objectives.
