BY DANI TIETZ
dani@mahometnews.com
Something sweet is about to happen, and it has nothing to do with sending flowers to your love.
When the temperatures drop below freezing overnight, and warm up to the 40’s during the day, it’s maple sugar season.
With warmer temperatures forecasted in mid-Feburary, conditions might be ideal to begin harvest, which usually lasts around 6 to 8 weeks.
While getting to the end product, maple syrup, takes many gallons of maple sugar and many hours to boil down, owners of Sugar Maple Groves throughout Central Illinois plan educational opportunities so that the public knows the contents of the glass bottle on the grocery shelf begin in the trunk of a tree.
The process of making maple syrup was first documented
Owners of Sugar Maple Groves throughout Central Illinois in North America by French explorer André Thévet in 1557.
For each gallon of maple syrup, 42 gallons of maple sugar have to be boiled down.
Today, the three largest producers of maple syrup include Funks Grove in Bloomington, a White Meadow Farms in Effingham and Forest Glen Preserve in the Vermilion County Conservation District.
While the Champaign County Forest Preserve does not produce maple syrup for public consumption, their 200-year old maple tree grove located at the Homer Lake Forest Preserve welcomes visitors late each winter for Maple Sugar Days.
The 1.5-hour event on Feb. 29 (10-11:30 a.m. or 12:30-2 p.m.) begins in the Homer Lake Forest Preserve Interpretive Center with a presentation on the legends behind maple sugaring and how Native Americans used to use the sap.
Guests will then make their way to the maple tree grove where they will go over the maple sugaring process from tapping the tree, how sap comes out of the tree and how the sap is collected. The sap will be poured into pans over an open fire where it will be boiled down until it reaches a syrup consistency.
Because the process takes days, the end product is not available during the session, but samples from the grove will be available.
Event space is limited and a $5 per person registration fee is required.
About 40 minutes away from Homer, the Forest Glen Preserve is also home to a maple grove that began producing maple syrup commercially in 1984.
A peak harvest can produce 4,200 gallons of maple sugar, making Forest Glen Preserve the third largest producer of maple syrup in Illinois.
Each year, school children visit Forest Glen Preserve to witness the modern 30-inch by 10-foot evaporator housed in a building called the “Sugar Bush.” During their visit, they are able to see the maple sugar be turned into maple syrup, and taste the finished product.
On March 15, the public is invited to the Maple Syrup Open House to see the “Sugar Bush” building, the syrup-production process and to enjoy a pancake and sausage dinner (adults $6, children under 12 are $3).
By late February, White Meadows Farms is ready to provide tours of their sugarbush. Filled with re-imagined Native and Pioneer camps, guests can follow the sugar-maker’s footsteps, testing their hand at woodcutting and enjoying “Taffy-on-Snow.”
Each tour departs every half-hour beginning at 10 a.m. Tours can last up to 1.5 hours, depending on how long the guest wants to stay in the sugarbush.
Located on Funks Grove Nature Preserve, Sugar Grove Nature Center hosts programs for scouts and homeschoolers. Adults, children and toddlers can experience the magic of maple sugar through “Little Tappers” and “Maple Sirup Tours.”
“Maple Sirup Tours” is a whole-family experience that lasts about 2.5 hours on March 7. While gathered around the fire at sirup camp, guests will learn how the Native Americans and early settlers collected and prepared sap.
The program also includes a journey to the sugarbush to tap a maple tree and a sampling of sweet treats made with maple sirup.
Tours begin at 9:30, 12 and 2:30 p.m. Registration and fee are required.
Designed for children ages 3 to 5 with an adult chaperone, “Little Tappers” engages young minds with sirup stories, crafts and insight into making maple syrup. The program is helpd from 10 to 11:30 a.m. or 1 to 2:30 p.m. March 11 or 14. Registration and fee are required.
While in the area, Funks Grove Pure Maple Sirup is nearby with syrups, candies, pancake mixes and gifts.
Program Registration Information and Links are located below:
Champaign County Forest Preserves’ Maple Sugar Days
Feb. 29: Interpretive Center, Homer Lake Forest Preserve, 10-11:30 a.m. or 12:30-2 p.m.All ages. $5 per person. Space is limited.
Maple Syrup Open House
March 15: Forest Glen Preserve, Sycamore Hollow Campus Area, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. All Ages. Pancake and Sausage Dinner, Adults $6, Children 12 and Under $3
White Meadows Farms
Feb. 29, Mar. 1, 7, 8, 14-22, 28 & 29 Apr. 4 & 5,
Tours run every half hour: starting at 10am
Last tour departs at 3pm
Adults (17+): $15.00
Youth (7-16): $11.00
Children (3-6):$6.00
Maximum 35 people per tour time (see calendar below for available tour times)
All prices are plus HST
Maple Sirup Programs & Field Trips
Programs require advanced registration and payment. Space is limited.
Classes could be cancelled if minimum enrollment is not met by the registration deadline.
Please contact 309-874-2174 or email register@sugargrovenaturecenter.org for more information or to check availability after the registration deadline.
Sirup for Scouts & Youth Groups
Fee: $9/child, $7/chaperones. Registration by February 21.
Saturday, February 29, 9:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
https://www.jotform.com/Sugargrovenaturecenter/S4S-930-2020
Saturday, February 29, 12:00-2:30 p.m.
https://www.jotform.com/Sugargrovenaturecenter/S4S-1200-2020
Homeschool: Maple Sirup Experience Tours
Fee: $9/student (ages 3 and up), $7/teacher or chaperone. Registration required by February 19.
Tuesday, February 26, 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
https://form.jotform.com/Sugargrovenaturecenter/Feb26-2020-HS
Tuesday, March 3, 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
https://form.jotform.com/Sugargrovenaturecenter/Mar3-2020-HSMS
Wednesday, March 4, 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
https://form.jotform.com/Sugargrovenaturecenter/mar4-2020-HSMS
Maple Sirup Experience Tours
Fee: Members $8/adults, $6/children (16 & under), Non-members $10/adults, $8/children. Registration required by February 28.
Saturday, March 7, 9:30 a.m.
https://www.jotform.com/Sugargrovenaturecenter/930MSET2020
Saturday, March 7, 12:00 p.m.
https://www.jotform.com/Sugargrovenaturecenter/1200-2020MSET
Saturday, March 7, 2:30 p.m.
https://www.jotform.com/Sugargrovenaturecenter/230-2020MSET
Little Tappers, ages 3-5 with an Adult Chaperone
Fee: $8/child members, $10/child non-members with an adult chaperone. Registration required by the Sunday, March 8.
Wednesday, March 11, 10:00-11:30 a.m.
https://form.jotform.com/Sugargrovenaturecenter/Mar-11-am-LT
Wednesday, March 11, 1:00-2:30 p.m.
https://form.jotform.com/Sugargrovenaturecenter/Mar11-LT-pm
Saturday, March 14, 10:00-11:30 a.m.
https://form.jotform.com/Sugargrovenaturecenter/Mar14-LT-am-2020
Saturday, March 14, 1:00-2:30 p.m.
https://form.jotform.com/Sugargrovenaturecenter/Mar14-LT-pm
