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MapleFest at Sharon Audubon
 | | Joseph Markow tends the woodburning stove that keeps the maple sap boiling, and shows a group of students a thermometer that is used during the process. Photos/ Robin Gourd |
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MapleFest is a day when the general public is invited to tour the entire sugaring program that the Sharon Audubon Center offers, including the working sugarhouse. Throughout the day, there will be 40-minute tours in which participants learn about the natural and cultural history of maple sugaring as well as the process of syrup production. MapleFest will be held on Saturday, March 22 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at Audubon Sharon, located on Route 4 in Sharon. Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for children. This program will be held outside and the ground may be muddy, so visitors should dress appropriately (warm clothes, old shoes, no high heels shoes, etc.). The Center’s own maple syrup will be for sale in its nature store. Call 364-0520 if you need more info.
Sharon Audubon's maple sugaring program is a hands-on, sensory-based experience focusing on trees as living organisms and the concept of sustainable agriculture in a forest ecosystem. Our teaching method incorporates forest ecology and cultural history into the joy and excitement of maple syrup production. Participants visit four stations:
• The Tree — Exploring a model sugar maple, students learn the parts of the tree and its life cycle, as well as the basic needs of plants and the process of photosynthesis.
• The Forest — On Maple Trail, students discuss the age and identification of trees. They also collect buckets of sap that will become Audubon maple syrup.
• The Sugar House — Students use their five senses to explore the process of syrup production, including the evaporator and tools used to change sap into syrup. They even get a taste of the final product!
• The History — Steam rises from the sap as educators add Native American hot rocks and then demonstrate the creation of a Colonial spile that the students take back to their class with them. Other historic tools, sugaring methods and legends are presented for students to touch, see and hear.
The Center teaches this and many outdoor nature programs throughout the year to students, scouts, clubs and adult groups. If you are a teacher or leader of a club or group, please contact Audubon Sharon at 860-364-0520 to request a program guide describing different educational opportunities available through the Sharon Audubon Center.
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