Sweet! In conjunction with Sand Road Maple Farm near Moose Creek, South Nation Conservation is once again offering to schools in its 4,000 square-km watershed the opportunity for a two-hour maple syrup education adventure of hands-on and co-operative experiences focusing on how the spring elixir is produced today as compared to the 18th and 19th centuries.
With SNC interpreters conducting the tours, pre-booked K-12 school groups are guided through the sugar bush and given an overview of everything from the science behind the syrup, to the proper technique in tapping maple trees. Interested schools are urged to book their visits through SNC’s Dana Kittle at 1-877-984-2948, ext. 287. Tours are also available for adult groups.
The bilingual program is offered March 7 through April 21. The Sand Road site remains open to regular visitors on weekdays while tours are being conducted.
Start times are 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Each tour follows the K-12 science curriculum. Cost is $5 per participant including tour and maple treat, with pancake meals available starting at $3.50 per person. Minimum number per group is 15 and the maximum is 40. In order to help make the program more accessible, SNC offers bussing subsidies of up to $150 per eligible school.
Program participants learn all about the sugaring process from aboriginal times until today. They get to watch the sap boiling down into sweet-tasting maple syrup, and get to sample the pioneer treat of taffy on snow… if Mother Nature cooperates.
While there’s plenty of fun to be had during an SNC/Sand Road outing, the true emphasis is on education, said program facilitator Chris Craig. Students will learn how to identify various tree species, woodlot management, and the role forests play within watersheds.
“Students will gain a better understanding of how human communities are part of, not separate, from natural environments, as well as a better understanding of the progressive nature of history,” Craig said. “What they learn at Sand Road will hopefully be carried into adulthood.”
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Dana Kittle, (877) 984-2948, ext. 287.
