Hard Bargain Farm Environmental Center Accokeek • Maryland
Environmental Education on the Potomac
Annual Report 2012 Building for a Strong Foundation
Building for a Strong Foundation Our Mission To connect people to the natural world, sustainable agricultural practices and the cultural heritage of their local watershed through education, stewardship and advocacy.
Board of Directors Michael Herman, President Nancy Gasparovic, Vice President Dan Jackson, Secretary Harold Phelps, Treasurer Abe Haspel • Steve Kim • Linda Lampkin • Stevenson McIlvaine • Frank Nicolai • Snapper Poche • Betsy Reid •Liz Theobalds • Bud Wareham • Nancy Weiman
Executive Director Lori Arguellles
Alice Ferguson Foundation 2001 Bryan Point Road 1255 23rd Street, NW, Suite 275 Accokeek, Maryland 20607 Washington, DC 20037 Tel. 301.292.5665 • Fax 301.292.1070 Tel. 202.973.8203 fergusonfoundation.org
Dear Friends, Over the past year, we have achieved so much together as we continue Building for a Strong Foundation. In 2012, we worked with 16 Trash Free Schools as part of our multi-faceted Trash Initiative to rid the Potomac River Watershed of litter. We made nature come alive for close to 11,000 Pre-K through 12th grade students at our Hard Bargain Farm Environmental Center, and at national and state parks throughout the region through our Bridging the Watershed partnership with the National Park Service. We continue to be inspired by all those with whom we connect, from the nearly 15,000 volunteers who participated in our annual watershed-wide cleanup to the dozens of teachers trained at our annual Teacher Institutes to the thousands of students who get to use nature as their classroom thanks to our field studies. And we are constantly challenging ourselves to be ever more innovative. Just one of many examples is the creation of the Trash Free Network, an online community dedicated to increasing regional stewardship by transforming the way in which groups identify and engage with activities that build toward a trash-free future. Among our greatest accomplishments in 2012 was securing the resources necessary to begin construction of our Potomac Watershed Study Center, which is designed to meet the most stringent of green building requirements as laid out in the Living Building Challenge©. Generous commitments from private sources, as well as the State of Maryland and Prince George’s County, mean that in the coming year we will be able to construct our new facility. These cutting-edge buildings will make it possible for us to “walk the talk,” and educate and foster the next generation of environmental stewards on a whole new level. All of our efforts are made possible with the generous support of a community of dedicated funders and individuals who care deeply about our work and recognize the powerful impact of our programs. We are grateful to all and invite you to take a virtual walk in nature as you read this report. Sincerely,
Lori Arguelles Executive Director
Mike Herman Board President
EDUCATION W
ith nature as our classroom, the Foundation seeks to foster the next generation of environmental stewards through our field studies at Hard Bargain Farm Environmental Center (HBF) and at national and Maryland state parks through our Bridging the Watershed (BTW) program. The two programs combine to serve students from Pre-K through twelfth grade and help instill an awareness and appreciation of our natural world. Our award-winning programs encourage middle and high school students to be scientists through a rigorous STEM-based (Science-Technology-Engineering-Math) curriculum, and open the doors of discovery to younger students who are experiencing the woodlands, wetlands, and waterways of our 330-acre farm for the first time.
Water High and Water Low -Springbrook High School Student Water high and water low Water swift, fast, and slow Creatures here or plants there Water exists everywhere Near our water there exists Historical places which is a remembrance of Arsenals long ago And the water high is now the water low
Expanding the Classroom
Courses at Hard Bargain Farm immerse students in various field studies involving fun and innovative hands-on activities and field investigations designed to engage all learning styles. In 2012, the monthly Home School program expanded to increase successes by allowing more choices in the curriculum and theme of the students’ visits. Additionally, the Hard Bargain Farm Education program, through grants from NOAA’s Bay Watershed Education and Training program and the Environmental Protection Agency, reinstated the Outreach Coordinator position, making it possible to reconnect with schools that the Foundation has worked with in the past. As a result, 11 schools are now participating in our Schoolyards as Classrooms project. To further engage area schools, AFF staff worked to revitalize the Trash Free Schools project, which works to educate and empower students, faculty, and staff to reduce their school’s waste footprint by providing education and resources.
Hard Bargain Farm Major Accomplishments: • Conducted a successful two-week Teacher Institute for 28 teachers from Prince George’s County, MD. • Held the first annual Family Fun Day on June 9, 2012 in conjunction with Maryland Get Out of Doors Day. Families took part in activities that included visiting the animals in the barnyard and the children’s garden, a wagon ride to the Potomac River, and a campfire at the log cabin.
“In the end we will conserve only what we love; we will love only what we understand and we will understand only what we are taught.” -Baba Dioum, Senegalese Poet and Conservationist
From Classrooms to Parks (and Beyond) In partnership with the National Park Service (NPS), BTW is designed to promote student academic achievement, personal connections with the natural world, lifelong civic engagement, and environmental stewardship through hands-on curriculum-based outdoor studies in national parks and public lands. Creativity and innovation abounded as staff sought to meet the demands for the current program and also to expand beyond the Potomac River Watershed. New, energetic educators joined the team invigorating the program with their enthusiasm and ideas to better engage students and make science more relevant.
By the Numbers • 6,478 students served through BTW field studies • 4,536 students served through HBF programs • 173 BTW field studies held in 21 parks • 53 teachers participated in Teacher Institutes • 25 teachers participated in Trash Free Schools workshops • 20 rangers trained • 16 School participated in Trash Free Schools • 11 schools participated in our Schoolyards as Classrooms • 3 new parks added to the BTW program
Bridging the Watershed Major Accomplishments • Expanded into three parks in the Northeast Region of the National Park Service. As a result, we trained 18 park staff and teachers at Lowell National Historical Park, Lowell, MA; Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River, Bear Lake, PA; and Assateague National Seashore, MD. • Updated teacher training modules to provide more professional development in environmental education. • Engaged 50 students from Suitland High School in a pilot service learning program providing litter prevention information on the National Mall in Washington, DC. • Piloted a new park-specific module, The Battle to Save Water Quality, at Monocacy National Battlefield.
ADVOCACY
“There are no problems we cannot solve together, and very few that we can solve by ourselves.” -President Lyndon B. Johnson
T
he word “advocacy” can sometimes be a lightning rod, but at its core is the fundamental notion of actively supporting something important. In our case, we actively support protecting our watershed from the negative impact of trash. Our Trash Free Potomac Watershed Initiative seeks to have the institutions, infrastructure, and policies in place that are needed to create a lasting reduction of litter throughout the watershed. Since the Trash Initiative was started nearly a decade ago, we have focused on five core components to accomplish this goal: public education, market-based approaches, policy, enforcement, and regulation.
Trash Initiative Major Accomplishments: • Implemented the Regional Litter Prevention Campaign in five communities through the Trash Free Communities project by providing grassroots support and increasing awareness of litter issues through collaborative engagement.
By the Numbers: • 4,000 officers engaged in Litter Enforcement Month • 53 members of the Trash Free Maryland Alliance • 49 presentation, meetings, or informational sessions were held by Trash Initiative staff • 19 Trash Free Potomac Facilities were supported by the Trash Free Facilities program • 7 schoolyard cleanups held as part of the Trash Free Schools Project • 6 members of the Trash Free Virginia Alliance
• Convened the seventh Annual Trash Free Potomac Watershed Summit November 7, 2012 at the Silver Spring Civic Building where more than 225 participants gathered to learn, discuss, plan, and take action on strategies to eliminate trash from our waterways. Keynote speaker, Jean-Michel Cousteau is pictured above left; Maryland Delegate Heather Mizeur and student participants are pictured above right. • Engaged ten agencies from nine jurisdictions to raise awareness of litter, illegal dumping, and related crimes, the laws associated with them, and their effects on our communities, our economy, and the Potomac River during Litter Enforcement Month (LEM) in April 2012. • Worked with the Trash Free Maryland and Trash Free Virginia Alliances to pass litter reduction policies that have proven to be successful at providing simple economic incentives for reducing litter.
STEWARDSHIP
“...the care of the earth is our most ancient and most worthy and, after all, our most pleasing responsibility. To cherish what remains of it, and to foster its renewal, is our only legitimate hope.” -Wendell Berry, Author and Poet
Creating Communities to Tackle Trash In 2012, with generous support from REI, we launched the Trash Free Potomac Network to form an online community to connect volunteers, organizations, businesses and governments by providing year round information on local cleanups, workshops, and trash monitoring opportunities. The information gathered from the Trash Network will also provide crucial data by feeding directly into the FieldScope program. The National Geographic Society approached AFF to participate in their FieldScope program, a web-based platform that provides a forum for collection and analysis of citizen science projects that involve geographic data. The partnership will greatly increase our ability to share and analyze data, connecting volunteers to regional needs, and create cleanups that have broader impacts.
trashnetwork.fergusonfoundation.org The 24th Annual Potomac River Watershed Cleanup Each year, thousands of stewards in the Potomac watershed join together to improve the communities we live in and take part in the Annual Potomac River Watershed Cleanup. Since 1989, through partnerships with businesses, nonprofit organizations, public agencies and youth groups, more than 114,000 volunteers have eliminated over 6 million pounds of trash from our watershed during the month of April. Held on April 14, the Cleanup brought in a record breaking number of volunteers, allowing the Foundation to not only increase regional stewardship, but further raise awareness about and increase engagement with the trash issue plaguing the Potomac watershed.
2012 Cleanup by the Numbers
• 14,616 volunteers • 660 cleanup sites in Maryland, the District of Columbia, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Virginia • 262 tons of trash removed • 31,000 plastic bags • 1,566 tires • 139,000 beverage containers
DEMONSTRATION Building for the Future The Potomac Watershed Study Center, our newest and most innovative and ambitious initiative, is now ready to come to life after years of planning. The Center will embrace the most advanced environmental design and construction principles of our lifetime and be a net-zero water, net-zero energy, zero-waste and carbonneutral facility that will meet the requirements of the Living Building Challenge©. The Overnight Lodge and the DayUse Building are the main components of the Center and will be complemented by two sleeping cabins and a wetlands boardwalk. The Center will demonstrate how the natural and human-built worlds can interact in a mutually sustaining way.
O
ne of the Foundation’s greatest assets is the land and historical buildings we are privileged to manage. In February 2012, the rebuilding of the Harry Patton Tool Museum was completed, to the delight of hundreds of school students. After the August 2011 earthquake, an assessment was made of all buildings on the site. It was determined that the chimney at the log cabin was damaged beyond repair. After deconstruction it was rebuilt with vintage bricks to be historically representative.
This innovative Center will greatly improve the Foundation’s ability to educate and inspire the scores of students and teachers who visit Hard Bargain Farm each year. Our educators will integrate the Center’s components into our curricula, and we anticipate that the opportunities of “teachable moments” will blossom as the Center is built and the components are used by students and teachers.
“The human race is challenged more than ever before to demonstrate our mastery - not over nature but of ourselves.” – Rachel Carson, Conservationist and Author
Highlighting the Value of Local Produce At the center of AFF lies the working farm, which not only serves as an educational tool for the visiting students, but also demonstrates the importance of locally sourced produce and sustainable agriculture practices. Over the past year, production of sustainably raised beef, chicken, and eggs for sale has been the main focus of the farming operation. The new rotational grazing program at the Farm is a success, greatly reducing the need for hay. In spite of one of the most severe summer droughts in our region, the beef cattle grazed for the greater part of the year, and in so doing added valuable nutrients back into the soil.
The Arts and Cultural Heritage at Hard Bargain Farm Henry and Alice Ferguson’s legacy is honored through our performing arts programs and cultural heritage preservation efforts. This year, the Hard Bargain Players produced and performed three plays including Fuddy Meers, Hoodoo Love, and And They Dance Real Slow in Jackson. The Concert in the Woods series featured a variety of music including jazz, bluegrass, country, rock, and folk at the Hard Bargain Amphitheater. Fergie’s Gardeners, a member of the National Garden Clubs, Inc., conducted tours of the Country Place Era gardens Alice created. Cultural Heritage preservation efforts included the completion and adoption of the Scope of Collection of objects owned or created by Alice and Henry Ferguson. Part of that collection are archived letters, photos and other documentation that are in the process of being scanned, read and translated into digital files by a newly formed group of volunteers, “Alice’s Scribes.” The purpose is to deepen our understanding of the Fergusons and their years at Hard Bargain Farm from source material in the archives at the Farm. This work is especially important in light of our proposed application for the National Historic Register and for attracting academics, historians, and others to our cultural heritage.
By the Numbers:
• 1,800 bales of hay harvested and stored • 1,100 people attended our annual Oktoberfest celebration • 545 people attended Spring Farm Festival • 270 volunteers logged 3,333 hours at HBF • 75 laying hens produced 1,240 dozens of eggs • 45 young broiler chickens raised, processed and sold • 17 beef cattle rotationally grazed throughout our farmland
Our Community of Support W
e are grateful for the support and donations of the following individuals and organizations. Their contributions have helped us to provide high quality programming to students, teachers, and citizens in the region.
Public Sector Partners
DC Water & Sewer Authority Environmental Protection Agency District Department of the Environment Maryland Department of Agriculture Maryland State Department of Education National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Chesapeake Bay Office, Marine Debris Program National Endowment for the Humanities National Park Service, National Capital Region Prince George’s County Government Prince George’s County Farm Bureau U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Corporations, Foundations and Organizations Alexander & Cleaver Arnold & Porter LLP Blue Ridge Voyageurs Chaney Foundation Charlie’s Family Restaurant Chesapeake Bay Roasting Company Chesapeake Bay Trust Cheverly Garden Club Circus Ice Cream, Inc. Community Bank of Tri-County Constellation Energy Efusion Consulting, LLC ExxonMobil Facchina, LLC GenOn Energy G.S. Proctor and Associates, Inc. Hazen, Inc. HMSHost Living Oceans Foundation Logistics Management Institute Maddy’s Bar & Grille MOM’s Organic Market Morgan Stanley Smith Barney (MSSB) Motorola, Inc. Moyaone Association, Inc. O’Brien and Gere Engineers, Inc. Old Line Bank Paint Branch Garden Club Preservation Maryland Heritage Fund Quintiles Sheryl Romeo Real Estate Skanska Infrastructure Development SMECO
Solly’s Tavern Starbucks Foundation Tanta-Cove Garden Club Title Professionals, Ltd The Keith Campbell Foundation Community Foundation for the National Capital Region The MARPAT Foundation The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation The Summit Fund of Washington United Way of Charles County, Inc. United Way of the National Capital Area Washington Gas Westmoreland Hills Garden Club
Individual Donors
Aaron & Bonnie Ackley Chris & Bonnie Aills Matthew Alcide Gary & Candace Allen Michael Leventhal & Judy AllenLeventhal Ben Arbutiski Lori Arguelles & John Cox David & Tanya Arguelles Bryan & Donna Arling James Armel Linda Armwood David Baker Mary Jo Banis Richard & Lydia Barbour Brad Bartee Joris Benninga Brij & Nancy Bhargava Deborah Biesiadecki Elmer “Bud” Biles Robert Boone Sybelline Bowie Christine Bowling Lynn Bragan Gary Brashear Marney Bruce Kenneth Bryson & Nancy Sulfridge Cynthia Bucco Ron & Shawna Buchsen Billy Buck Joseph & Michelle Buckingham Anne Buckler Elizabeth Burke Connie Burley Angela Calos
Jackie Camerlink Peter & Anne Campbell Caroline Carbaugh Quick Carlson Oden & Lillian Catterton Ann Chab Kevin Chandler John Chesley & Cynthia HeerwagenChesley Bob & Mary Christensen Thomas Clay & Kathleen Jenkins O’Day Catherine Cloud Emily Cohen Michael Cohn & Linda Witkin Adelaide Copeland Paul and Linda Coverston Steve & Ginny Crake Rochelle Creighton-Tompa Alvan & Janet Crews Marc Cruz Becky Curtis Judith Davis Jeff Deford David DeJesus Joe & Peggy DeStefanis John & Virginia Dildine Henry DiLorenzo Jules Dingle Kenneth & Peggy Dixon Susanne Donohue Daniel & Carol Donohue Fred & Mary Downs John & Ann Draper John & Hildegard Droter John Dullahan Farleigh Earheart Robert & Norma Edwards Thomas Ellwanger & Ellen Hancock John & Kathleen Enterline Alan & Barbara Evans Jon & Alexandra Evans Thomas Fahy Robert & Olivia Farncomb Katrina Fauss Leslie Fazio Stanley & Patrice Fetter Rosalie Fedoruk Donna Finneyfrock Robert Fisher & Maritza Castro Peter Fontneau Richard & Susan Fortgang Martha Franklin
Luke Frazza Nanette Fremont & Rita Bergman Tom Fry Christina Gallahan Alan & Sharyn Gantt Nancy Gasparovic Thelma Gasparovic Charles & Ruth Gaumond Clifford George Margaret Gerety Kimberly Gilbert-Toelle Robert & Charlotte Gillespie Robin Good Edward Graham Graham Granger Mike Grant Jesse & Carol Graybill Jason & Darlena Griffith Katherine Gronberg David Grossman Scott Gudes Joe Hage Leona Haiden Andrew Hall Robbie & Natalie Hamlett Steven Hannes Rhonda Hanson Kimberly Harb John Hardenberg & Mindy Cookmeyer William & Stephany Harper Abe & Diane Haspel Alan Heck Anthony Hedlesky Mark Herman Michael Herman Ann Herman Robert Herman & Barbara Wien Kent Hibben Tom Hipschen Stewart & Jo Hobbs John & Denise Hofbauer R. Diane Hoffman Jeffrey Hoisington Michael & Mary Huffman Melissa Hunt Todd Hutchinson Dan Jackson Jay, Annette, & Jerome Jackson Judy Jackson Leslie & Paulette Jacobi David Jeffries Lynsey Jeffries
Alexandra Jellerette Phil & Susan Jones Roland Jones Ralph V. Jones Dan Katz Louis & Patricia Kaufman Tina Kemper Justin & Amy Kenney Philip Kieffer Carolyn Kier Steve & Rose Kim Kevin Kirby & Eileen Monnin-Kirby Timothy Kirk Peter Klebaur Gregg & Amy Kneipp Laura Knox Bridget Koury Elizabeth Kraft & Robert Horn Harry & Millie Kriemelmeyer Arthur Krueger Michael Kutzleb Gabrielle Lajoie James & Margery LaMar Linda Lampkin & Ron Dickey Mary Landon Thomas & Iris Lantz Todd & Dara La Porte Chris LaRochelle Julie Lawson Carolyn LeCrone William & Janet Legg Jay & Jane Lewis Jay and Mary Lilly George & Beverly Linde John & Rita-Ann Lindstrom David & Diane Lishin Samuel Litzinger & Laura King Paul & Barbara Livingston Sylvia Livingston Eric Livingston Joseph & Gail Livingston Leonard Long Wayne & Rosa Lord Andrew Love Art & Deanna Lutz Merriann Lynch Edward & Carol Macauley Meredith Manning Pete Marra Elizabeth Martin Muscoe Martin, Jr. Matthew & Renee Mason
James Masters Milan & Evelyn Matey William Mayhew James McAndrews Bill & Krysti McGee Stevenson McIlvaine & Penelope Breese Paul & Elaine McVinney Richard & Judy Meade Bruce & Tawna Mertz Steven Metalitz & Kitt Gage Vince Meyer Michael & Christine Micknick Roger & Martha Midgette David & Karen Miles Thomas V. M. Miller Vivian Mills John & Betty Mitchell Patty Moore Skip Moosher Velma Morgan Richard & Janeen Morse Robert & Marion Mulholland Angela Murphy-Walters Phyllis Nelson Frank & Shirley Nicolai Debra Noone Eugene Northrop Martha Nortrup Peter Nyce Scott & Dorothy Odell George & Laura Omohundro William Oshinsky & Elissa Gordon Mary Page & Neady Brown Aleksandrs & Anita Parins William & Janet Parker Lillian Parks Robert & Maureen Parlette Clarence & Kathleen Parrish Phillip Pasqualle Drue Pearce & Michael Williams Jim & Jan Pester Larry & Gwen Peters Harold & Mary Lee Phelps Snapper & Janel Poche Anthony Pomilla Roamer Predmore Mathann Purvis Robert & Eleanor Quigley Russell & Meg Ramey Norman & Marilyn Randall Peggy Reichard Edward Reisman
Our Community of Support W
e are grateful for the support and donations of the following individuals and organizations. Their contributions have helped us to provide high quality programming to students, teachers, and citizens in the region.
John Reuter Sue Riale Ray & Liz Rice Elizabeth Rives & Alison Willocks Edith Roberts Keith Roberts William Robertson & Anne Stokes Sheila Robertson Smith Alexander Robinson Matthew Schwaller & Sheryl Romeo Kyle Salisbury Don & Connie Saltarelli Georgena Sanchez Donald Williams & Carolyn Sanford William & Stephanie Saylor Betsy Reid & William Suworoff John & Grace Schlosser Margaret Schmid Suzanne Schoeler Aaron Schoenewolf Mr. Robert Schreck Hazen & Shirley Schumacher Casey Olney & Martha Schumacher Ruth Schwaller Daniel Schwartz Tom Schwenn & Catherine PlaisantSchwenn Bill & Rhonda Scott Peter & Kathryn Scudera Charlene Sellner Mattie Shafer Earl & Doris Sharp Young Sook Oh & Enoch Shin Malcolm & Julie Simpson Don Slater Owen & Farley Smith Robert Smolinski Jack & Joan Smuck Margaret Spring Mike & Ama Spruill Alan & Elaine Stillwell Steve Stough Blaise & Deborah Strandquist Peter Strass Mary Sullivan & Natalie Hamlett Eloise Swick Amy Tarleton
Dan & Poss Tarpley Larry & Kay Taub Donald & Harriet Taylor Gerald & Sue TePaske Liz Theobalds Jim & Jean Thompson Mark & Patricia Thompson Kenneth Tolo & Patty Elder Michael & Karin Tome Kevin Tone Michael Toner David & Le Etta Townsend Jeanne Troy David Trudnak Paul Turaew Steven & Ikuko Turner Valerie Usher Patricia Vanderslice Marianne Vennemann William Vincent Anna Wadhams Nancy & Holly Wagner Bud & Marilyn Wareham Julia Washburn Nick & Carolyn Wasylczuk David & Marilyn Weaver David & Nancy Weiman April Weimer Glenn & Eve Welch Margaret Weston Scott Whipple George & Katie Widener Michael Williams Ross Williams Byron & Becky Williams Vicki Williams Frank Willis Ron Wilson Robert & Linda Wilson Jonathan & Brenda Wright Samuel & Sunday Wynkoop Jeffrey & Denise Yeager Arnold & Judith Yochelson Christina Zechman Brown Donald & Sharon Zimmer Lonny Zimmerman Cathie Zimmerman
In-kind Contributions
Accokeek Foundation Accokeek Library Bill Townsend Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Bates Trucking Trash Removal, Inc. Bradford Renaissance Portraits C & O Canal Trust Charlie’s Restaurant ColorNet Printing Dan Jackson DC Chamber of Commerce DC Metro Chocolate Tours de Muddy Mutt Deanna Lutz Edible Arrangements Fire and Ice Giant Food Janet Legg Jon Gillespie Katherine Sanz Katrina Fauss Lona Powell Lynn Hollyfield Mike Herman Nancy Gasparovic National Golf Club On Top Home Improvement Port Tobacco Players Peggy Reichard Patrice Henkel Potomac Riverboat Company REI Robert Price Shawna Buchsen Telemundo Washington, DC TKM Marketing Total Wine & More Two Cats Studio Weim Design William Klink William Suworoff
Bequests
Estate of Dixie Scoville Otis Estate of Gloria Fister
Gifts in Memoriam
Giving gifts in memoriam is a meaningful way to honor loved ones and also sustain the Foundation’s mission of connecting people to nature and inspiring them to care for our natural world. Some families whose loved ones have passed invite friends to contribute to the Foundation as a way to show their support and love. Individuals have also given in memory of a friend or relative. We consider it an honor and appreciate the opportunity to be included in these remembrances.
In Memory of Thelma Gasparovic Gary & Candace Allen Arvanitis & Chittum Families Elmer “Bud” Biles Sybelline Bowie & Keenan Bayol Daniel & Carol Donohue Timothy & Deborah Gasparovic Michelle Hanko Richard & Sharon Lee Ugiansky Judith Yochelson
In Memory of Margaret E. Garrison Elmer “Bud” Biles
I
n 2012, we lost a very special person who had been integral to the operations of the Alice Ferguson Foundation since its inception in 1954. Thelma Anita Gasparovic served as Henry ‘Fergie’ Fergusons’s personal secretary and was also secretary of the Foundation for many years. When student trips were scheduled, it was Thelma’s cheerful voice on the other end, ensuring their visit was flawless and memorable. She was able to work from home and used the Gasparovic family telephone number for Foundation business. As the visitors to the farm multiplied so did the phone calls, and everyone knew which number to call! She eventually bequeathed the number to the Foundation it is still our main line today. We have many things to thank Thelma for, not the least of which is the telephone number that enables thousands of students to visit and enjoy Hard Bargain Farm Environmental Center every year! We look forward to dedicating the deck and breezeway of our new dayuse education building to Thelma once it is completed as part of our Potomac Watershed Study Center. We are grateful to Nancy Gasparovic for her capital campaign pledge in Thelma’s honor and to Thelma’s many friends and family members who have made a donation in her honor.
In Memory of Ann M. Gerstenberger Peter Gerstenberger
In Memory of Amelia Interdonato Tanta Cove-Garden Club
Pictured Right: Thelma Gasparovic, her husband Walter “Ladd”and their two children, Gary and Candy, who moved to Moyaone Reserve in the 1950’s.
2012 STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES REVENUE Individuals Government Foundations Corporations Investment Income Program Income TOTAL REVENUE
$140,853 1,105,399 200,801 71,086 415,367 137,177 $2,070,683
EXPENSES Programs Educational Programs $688,950 Trash Free Potomac 377,224 Bridging the Watershed 422,788 Capital Projects 165,438 Total Programs 1,654,400 Support General & Administrative 240,360 Fund Raising 379,263 Total Support 619,623 TOTAL EXPENSES CHANGE IN NET ASSETS
2012 STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION ASSETS Cash $2,688,061 Investments 3,828,482 Receivables, Prepaid Expenses 110,604 Land, Buildings, Equipment, less depreciation 844,872 TOTAL ASSETS
$7,472,018
LIABILITIES Accounts Payable, Payroll Withholdings Accrued Payroll, Accrued Vacation Deferred Revenue
71,283 133,408 1,728,463
TOTAL LIABILITIES
1,933,154
NET ASSETS Unrestricted Net Assets Temporarily Restricted Net Assets
4,839,054 699,810
TOTAL NET ASSETS
5,538,864
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS
$7,472,018
$2,274,023 $(203,340)
Join Our Community of Support B
y supporting the Alice Ferguson Foundation, you are making a significant contribution to the conservation of the Potomac River watershed’s natural heritage. Your gifts support our Hard Bargain Farm Environmental Center and Bridging the Watershed environmental education programs, as well as our Trash Free Potomac Initiative and the cultural heritage and agricultural legacy of one of only three 20th Century artists’ estates intact in Southern Maryland.
Financial donations
We accept cash, check, and credit card donations via mail or on our online donation page. fergusonfoundation.org/support
Membership
Learn more about the membership levels and associated benefits at fergusonfoundation.org/support or by calling (202) 973-8203. If you are already a member, consider giving the gift of membership to introduce your friends, family, and coworkers to the Foundation.
Barnyard Animal Adoption
By adopting an animal, you help provide the food, shelter, and care it takes to keep our furry and feathered friends happy at Hard Bargain Farm, while also supporting the Foundation’s education programs. These animals are essential to the experience our students have here; getting to know them helps to bridge our world to theirs. This makes a great gift for kids!
Corporate Sponsorship
The Foundation annually seeks corporate sponsorship for several annual events, including Oktoberfest, the Potomac River Watershed Cleanup, and the Trash Summit. We also invite sponsorship of particular programs or activities (e.g. a class trip to Hard Bargain Farm, Bridging the Watershed teacher institutes). A range of sponsorship benefits are available. Please contact (202) 973-8203 if your company is interested in sponsoring any aspect of our work.
Workplace Giving
In 2012 the Foundation joined the mid-Atlantic chapter of EarthShare, a national non-profit federation who connects people and workplaces with ways to support environmental causes. The Foundation will receive an allocation of donations made to EarthShare and all donations specifically designated for our organization. Encourage your non-federal workplace to run an EarthShare giving campaign. The Foundation appears in the Combined Federal Campaign under EarthShare; our organization number is 62564.
Legacy Giving
Making a legacy gift, also called a “planned gift” or “deferred gift,” is a wonderful way to show your support and appreciation for AFF and its mission while accommodating your own personal, financial, estateplanning, and philanthropic goals. AFF has received several generous bequests in recent years that have propelled us toward our 60th year with even more energy and promise. Learn more at fergusonfoundation.giftplans. org.
In-kind donations
Donations of time, talent, and materials are always welcome and help defray the cost of offering our programs. Contact (202) 973-8203 to get our “wish list” and to arrange the donation of your non-monetary gift.
Support our Working Farm
We offer grass fed beef and free-range chicken and eggs at Hard Bargain Farm. The proceeds go back into farm upkeep and our educational programs. Contact Eileen Watts at (301) 659-1666 for more information.
Find out about other ways you can support AFF at fergusonfoundation.org/support
2001 Bryan Point Road Accokeek, MD 20607 1255 23rd St NW, Suite 275 Washington, DC 20037 Tel. 301-292-5665 • Fax: 301-292-1070 email: fergusonfoundation@fergusonfoundation.org fergusonfoundation.org Printed using soy ink on recycled paper.