for grades: all ages
Maple Sugar Tours
*Please Note: Maple Sugar Tours are available only during the sugaring season (late February to late March)
Learn how to identify a maple sugar tree, and discover why maple sugar trees are the most widely used species. An environmental educator will describe how a tree is “Tapped” to collect the sap, and why the sap flows only in the late winter and early spring. Discover how the Native American and Colonists made maple syrup, and observe our modern techniques for collecting and boiling sap into delicious maple syrup. Students will have a chance to taste sap directly from the tree and to take our taste test challenge. This program content and approach can be modified to be age/grade appropriate.
Concepts presented in this program include:
History of Maple Sugaring
Tree identification
Tree tapping and sap collection techniques
Live demonstration of syrup production at the Sugar Shack
Maple Syrup taste test
Core Curriculum connections:
Science:
3.2b Temperature can affect the state of matter of a substance.
3.2c Changes in the properties or materials of objects can be observed and described
1.1b Plants require air, water, nutrients, and light in order to live and thrive.
6.1a Green plants are producers because they provide the basic food supply for themselves and animals.
Social Studies
Native Americans: Important accomplishments and contributions of Native Americans who lived in our community and State
Colonists: Ways that colonists depended on and modified their physical environments
field trip only (no in-school option)
Program Length:
60-90 minute hike, depending on grade level
Program Cost:
$200 for up to 25 students
Up 5 to chaperones max
Staff/adults are free
Location: Outdoor Discovery Center (120 Muser Dr. Cornwall NY, 12518)