Maple sugar on tap at Kettle Creek
As the days warm up and the nights stay chilly or cold in the Poconos, that’s a good sign for the maple sap to start running.
Kettle Creek Environmental Education Center will host the 42nd Public Maple Sugaring Day at the Meesing Sugarbush in the Delaware State Forest just outside of Marshalls Creek, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday.
The day will include a 90minute tour of the sugarbush, focusing on the history of maple syrup from the Native Americans to the early settlers in the region. Families will travel to four different stations in the sugarbush, beginning with the Native Americans. There, they’ll have the chance to learn about the discoverers of maple sap, hear the story of Chief Woksis, and see how they cooked the sweet sap and turned it into the delicious maple sugar that we enjoy today.
The second station will teach visitors about the pilgrims who learned many things from the Native Americans. To suit the pilgrims’ needs, they changed the way that sap was collected and even cooked it with more modern methods using cast iron.
Next, visitors to the sugarbush will learn about the modern-day methods of collecting the sweet sap using tube lines and cooking the sap in an evaporator and turning it into pure maple syrup.
Finally, before eating pancakes topped with the Kettle Creek Environmental Education Center’s pure maple syrup, everyone will learn about how to identify maple trees in winter without their distinctive leaves, and the reason why this sweet sap is in the maple trees to begin with.
Environmental Educators want to make sure that families dress appropriately for the weather including shoes appropriate for trail walking. The day of Maple Sugaring cost $6; $4 for ages under 12; and free for all members of the EE Center and all tree sponsors (cash or check only). The Meesing Sugarbush is at 1254 Marshalls Creek Road, East Stroudsburg. For more information, Info: 570-629-3061 or https://www.mcconservation.org/maple-sugaring.html
Also of note, Kettle Creek Environmental Education Center will also host “A day in the Sugarbush for Scouts,” 9 a.m.-2 p.m., March 12. Cost is $5; $3, scouts and children under 12. Pre-registration is required for your group to reserve a spot by March 2.