Alice Ferguson Foundation

The Alice Ferguson Foundation’s mission is to inspire environmental stewardship by giving people the tools to understand, appreciate, and protect nature. In 2024, the Foundation will be celebrating its 70th anniversary! We’ve impacted the lives of over one million students through our curriculum and programs, and trained over 3,000 teachers and park rangers to deliver high-quality, STEM-focused environmental education. We share the wonder of outdoors, hands-on learning with students and residents of Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, DC. The Foundation, located in Accokeek, Maryland at Hard Bargain Farm, includes a barnyard with farm animals and an organic education garden. The farm is nestled in 330 acres in Piscataway National Park, which was created in part through a generous donation of Foundation land. The Foundation stewards wetlands and the longest freshwater Living Shoreline in the nation, and holds classes in the Living Building, a state-of-the-art environmental center that is only the 13th project in the world to achieve the prestigious full Living Building Certification and LEED Platinum Certification. The Living Building meets net-zero energy, water, and carbon-neutral requirements. Our bunkhouses host visiting classes on overnight field trips, and our new educational pavilion is also built to green, net-zero standards. The Foundation is committed to inclusivity and providing access to nature for all community members, so the boardwalk spanning our wet meadow, our bunkhouses, our Living Building, and our educational pavilion are all accessible.