Maple Syrup

Details

Facility	Group Type	Registration Limit
Kortright Centre for Conservation	School Groups Grades K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 Brownies Children 1-10, Youth 11-14, Adult 15+	3 classes every half hour starting at 9:30am
Seasons	Length	Special Programs
Spring ( March & April, Specific dates vary annually. )	Half Day ( 2 hour ), 1 hour version available P.M. only	Accessibility, ESL, Special Education
Activity Type	Subject	Topic
Environmental Appreciation, Environmental Learning, Heritage Studies, Outdoor Recreation	Geography, Native Studies, Science and Technology, Social Studies	Science and Technology - Daily and Seasonal Changes / Social Studies - Traditions and Celebrations / Pioneer Life/ First Nation Peoples and European Explorers

Description

This popular program includes a slide show tracing syrup production from the sap in the tree to the finished product. The history of syrup making and the equipment used, forest management practices, the effects of weather on sap flow are discussed. Along the trail to the sugar bush, learn how sap is produced and flows within the tree, how to identify maple trees, and how farmers tap their trees. Student volunteers will try drilling a tap hole using a brace and bit. At our demonstration sites visitors will meet a pioneer and modern day syrup-maker who will describe how they process sap into syrup. Observe differences in the equipment and tools used. Both sites are located in picturesque,, rustic settings. The first depicts native and pioneer methods of sap collection and production and provides a very sensory experience.,At the sugar shack a modern day sugar maker will demonstrate how syrup is made today and explain the use of plastic tubing, a gravity- fed collection system, storage tanks, and an evaporator.

Teachers can download a selection of Maple Syrup Worksheets for follow-up activities off the Kortright website.

Keywords

Sap, sugar maple, syrup, spile, photosynthesis, sapwood, heartwood, growth rings, tap a tree, brace and bit, evaporation, steam, evaporator, finishing pan, thermometer, boiling point, mokuk, tubing, kettles, 40:1 ratio, sugar bush, shoulder yoke, sugar shack, drop-lines, main line, gravity-fed