Residents can take part in maple sugaring

WOODBURY — Maple sugaring time, a New England tradition, will be starting soon.

Each year Flanders Nature Center taps and collects sap from dozens of trees both at the nature center and around the town of Woodbury, and invites anyone with an interest in maple sugaring to attend a volunteer information meeting on Tuesday.

The event begins at 7 p.m. and will be held in the Sugar House, which is located a quarter a mile up on the right from the corner of Flanders and Church Hill Road in Woodbury. There will be an overview of the 2019 season and details on the many interesting volunteer opportunities. Refreshments will be served.

To register for the information session, call 203263-3711, ext. 10. If you are unable to attend the session but are interested in volunteering during the maple season then call and the center will match your interests to volunteer opportunities.

The date for the actual tree tapping day has not been determined, but will be scheduled for a later Saturday. No experience is needed for tapping and all ages and families are welcome to help out.

Those interested in taking part in tapping day should watch for further announcements on Flanders’ website and Facebook page or call to be put on a list to be emailed the date when set. The information session and tree tapping events are free with donations always welcome.

Tapping the trees is just the start of the maple season for Flanders. Volunteers are also needed to collect sap and help at maple sugaring activities such as weekend syrup making demonstrations and the March 3 pancake breakfast where Flanders syrup will be served.

Flanders Nature Center & Land Trust is a nonprofit organization that focuses on environmental education and on the acquisition, conservation, and stewardship of open space.

Flanders manages over 2,300 acres of preserved land in Woodbury and neighboring towns. Educational programs for children and adults are offered at the Van Vleck Farm Sanctuary, Flanders’ main campus in Woodbury. Trails at its major nature preserves are open to the public at no charge from dawn to dusk.

For information, call 203-263-3711 or go to flandersnaturecenter.org.