Time to Make Maple Syrup, ‘This is Our Spring Ritual’

Three Rivers Park District has a variety of maple syrup programs available for people to learn about how maple trees are tapped, the sap is collected and then boiled down to make syrup.

Volunteers help with programs too.

“Every season we go when it’s maple syrup time and the staff and volunteers get very, very excited because this is our spring ritual,” said volunteer Deb Lewis. “This means spring is on its way. The trees are giving us their sap and that’s our spring elixir. It’s just fantastic.”

Lewis says after tasting real maple syrup, you’ll never go back to using artificial syrups ever again.

Maple Syrup making station at Eastman Nature Center.

At the Eastman Nature Center, you can expect to see the trails open with interpretative signs. Staff and volunteers will be on hand to answer questions and talk about the maple syrup process.

Elaine Tucker, a naturalist at Eastman Nature Center, tapped a tree on Thursday and counted 96 drips per minute.

“That’s up from 74 an hour ago and I think it’s going to be really cranking up later today,” said Tucker.

Tucker enjoys the programs because she says the maple syrup process “is like magic.”

It involves science, history, and more.

“It’s about tradition. It’s recreation and it’s got a little bit of everything,” said Tucker.

To learn more about Maple Syrup programs offered at Three Rivers Park District, click here.

Maple Grove