Meet Lesley Wills, a Prince George’s County teacher who has been a familiar face at our environmental campus for nearly two decades. Leading his students on immersive overnight field trips, Lesley’s passion for the outdoors and education has given countless young minds the opportunity to connect with nature.
Lesley Wills, a physical education teacher at Woodridge Elementary in Prince George’s County, is an expert when it comes to outdoor education field trips. For the past 19 years, Lesley has visited our Hard Bargain Farm environmental campus with fifth-grade students, as well as Camp Schimdt and NorthBay, for overnight outdoor experiences.
However, his memories of these field trips began in the fourth grade when his class went to Camp Schimdt for his own overnight experience. Lesley recalls his teacher at the time was an avid outdoorswoman who wanted them to get the full experience. So instead of staying in the cabins, she had them pitch tents to camp in for their stay. Lesley and his classmates also tested their cooking skills by making their own meals.
Fast forward a few years and Lesley joined the Boy Scouts. Lesley shared “I was able to apply some of those skills that my fourth grade teacher taught me during that field trip to my time as a Boy Scout.”
“The thing I love about Hard Bargain Farm is that it’s full of history,” said Lesley. “I learn so much every time I visit and it’s great for students to learn about hidden gems of Prince George’s County.”
Lesley recalled, from one of his first visits to the Farm, an educator talking about Henry Ferguson. The name sounded very familiar to him since he began his teaching career at Henry Ferguson Elementary School. Henry owned Hard Bargain Farm with his wife Alice Ferguson. They made it their escape from the hustle and bustle of city life in Washington, DC. Henry Ferguson was a geologist with the United States Geological Survey and, with his wife, one of the founders of the surrounding Moyaone Reserve community in Accokeek.
Lesley’s favorite memory of his visits to Hard Bargain Farm is milking a cow, an activity he was afraid to do when he was younger. School groups who stay overnight at the Alice Ferguson Foundation’s environmental campus help with the morning farm chores of milking the dairy cow, Opal, while learning about the milking process.
During the school’s visit this year, a student was very excited to milk a cow after hearing his father’s stories of growing up on a farm in South America. Lesley shared, “The student was a little hesitant to do some of the other activities, but when it came to milking a cow, I know that student will never forget that moment.”
Another transformative moment of the overnight experience is the nature walk to the river. Not only are students observing the natural environment around them, but also once they reach the river, they see how much trash washes up to shore from the Potomac.
Lesley shared that, after learning about the impact their daily actions have on the environment, students “take it more personally now when they see it in real life as opposed to them being told or watching a video.” Students return to school more aware of their actions, picking up all the trash they see, placing their garbage in the right waste bin, and looking for other ways to make a difference.
Lesley shared that, after learning about the impact their daily actions have on the environment, students “take it more personally now when they see it in real life as opposed to them being told or watching a video.” Students return to school more aware of their actions, picking up all the trash they see, placing their garbage in the right waste bin, and looking for other ways to make a difference.
When he’s not in the classroom or chaperoning field trips to Hard Bargain Farm, Lesley enjoys camping, fishing, and enjoying all that nature has to offer. You can also find him at the national flag football championships in Florida each year – his team brought home the winning trophy in 2024! Lesley is also working to complete his Doctorate of Education in Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment from Walden University and expects to graduate later this year.
Thanks so much Lesley for sharing your story with us! We can’t wait to see you and your students again soon for another awesome overnight adventure!