Shootin' Whitetails

It’s Maple Syrup Time

Wed, February 22, 2012

It’s maple syrup time at Lincoln Memorial Garden. I attended one of the demonstrations last weekend and learned about the history and process of making maple syrup.  Kids will enjoy a hands on experience by helping the Garden’s expert staff drill and tap the trees.

The public is invited to the demonstrations which continue February 18-19, March 3-4, and again on March 10-11. Times are at 1 p.m., 2 p.m., and 3 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday.

The presentation begins with a brief orientation inside the Garden’s Nature Center before heading into the woods. Trees are identified for tapping and a small hole is drilled into the tree trunk. A spile, or spout is inserted into the trunk and the watery sap begins to flow.

The sap is then taken to an evaporation station where it is boiled down until only the sweet syrup remains. Visitors are encouraged to taste the sap when it comes out of the tree and again after it has been transformed into syrup.

The last two weekends in March a Pancake and Sausage Breakfast is held in the Nature Center from 8 a.m. to Noon. Reservations can be made by calling the Garden at 217-529-1111.

On a side note, the Garden has asked me to present a digital photography class with a focus on photographing birds in their natural habitat this coming October. I will be posting more details about this offering later in the year.

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