Teacher’s Toolkit
Matt Kline, Allegany County Middle School Science Teacher
Middle school science teacher Matt Kline is a conservationist, researcher, and environmental educator. Now an established middle school science teacher at Mt. Savage Middle and Elementary School in Allegany County, he was recently awarded the 2025 University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science Richard A. Johnson Environmental Education Award. The award honors those who mentor and inspire future leaders in environmental science and stewardship, excellence in environmental education and public service that supports environmental education, and enhances environmental education opportunities for students of all ages. Matt’s elementary school colleagues Elaine Davis, Samantha Nolan, and Melissa Sindy have started a Green School Club, making it the first elementary school in the county to achieve Green School status with projects like fruit tree planting and creating a pollinator garden and monarch habitat.
OUR AG CLUB All of the tools we use in the Mount Savage Middle School Ag Club teach students about hard work, appreciation for the land that we have at school and for their own property at home, and the importance of helping others. The Ag Club has been fully supported for the last 18 months by generous donations, fundraisers, and through the sale of eggs, honey, vegetables, and other things that Ag Club kids make and grow.
OUR GARDENS Our 15 gardens and 26’ x 52’ high tunnel teach students about sustainability, where their food really comes from, and giving back to their community. Vegetables that are grown, 10 months a year and we share our produce with the community from our student-constructed produce stand located at the school.
CHICKENS & QUAIL Our students care for our flock of chickens and quail and collect eggs daily. Our birds teach students about animal husbandry and illustrate the amount of work that it takes to provide chicken and eggs to our large human population. We sell the eggs to help pay for the cost of food and bedding for the chickens. Our Ag Club students also work with all of our elementary classrooms to hatch over 250 chicks each year.
AQUACULTURE & AQUAPONICS Students learn to breed and care for tilapia throughout each school year and focus on sustainability. A small family can raise enough fish in 10-12 months for themselves in a 250-gallon tank using only the electricity to power a small air pump and water pump. Our student-built aquaponics system uses water from the tilapia tank to grow lettuce and other greens.
HONEYBEES Honeybees and the hives that they live in teach students about the importance of pollinators. We currently have 14 hives and it looks like we have our best year yet. We sell the honey to the community to help keep our program sustainable. Students have learned how to make lip balm and honey lollipops using the wax and honey from our hives.
FRUIT TREES Last spring, the Ag Program planted 30 fruit trees (apple, peach, pear, and cherry). The orchard is another tool to teach my students about where their food comes from and the hard work that people do to produce enough food for everyone. Additionally, the orchard teaches students how to use land sustainably and how to properly care for fruit trees. Eventually our trees will produce fruit for the school and for the community.