Nature Net News
March 2005
Maple Madness
Most pancake syrup available in the grocery store doesn't contain maple syrup? Many commercial syrups are made from corn syrup. Can you think of why? Pure maple syrup has only one ingredient - boiled sap from the sugar maple tree!
What to do
this month:
Learn to identify
the Sugar Maple tree
Visit Aldo Leopold Nature Center or the MacKenzie Center to get a hands-on experience with maple syrup!
List 10 ways (or more!) people use trees.
Check out family events at area Nature Net sites!
Tricks of the
Trail for Parents:
"Be Prepared for Spring
Weather"
March, they say, comes in like a lion and out like a lamb. Problem is, each day can be like that, too! Prepare your children for outdoor trips (to a near-by sugar bush) by dressing in layers and carrying a small backpack with extra socks, plastic bags and gloves. Cotton turtlenecks, polar fleece, and nylon windbreakers are an effective combination for changing weather conditions. And, look for inexpensive cotton gloves that stretch to fit a variety of hand-sizes – they're the perfect weight for early spring chills. Buy several in the same color (so you'll always have a matching pair) and keep them on hand for your own little “lambs”.
Instant
Outdoor Expert:
A
Sugar Maple tree is usually over 40 years old and about 12 inches in
diameter before it can be tapped for making maple syrup. The tree needs warm sunny days, (above 40 degrees F),
and frosty nights, (20-25 degrees F) for sap flow. On
average, it takes 40 gallons of sap to make one gallon of
syrup! Find out more fascinating maple syrup facts at the Wisconsin
DNR's EEK! page.
Suggested Reading:
"Sugarbush Spring" by Marsha Wilson Chall
"The Maple Syrup Book" by Marilyn Linton
"Spring
is when you feel like whistling even with a shoe full of slush."
Doug Larson
|
Dear Readers, Never before has being a "tree hugger" been so sweet! Trees, those silent sentinels of winter, are actually abuzz with motion within -- complex liquids sent from tree roots to nourish tiny branch-end buds. As tree tappers, we take just a small bit of this nourishment - and you can learn just how much in this month's "Instant Outdoor Expert" - to make maple syrup for our enjoyment. The trade off? We take care of the trees for another season. As the earth thaws and plants begin their upward thrust, March is a great time to visit a Nature Net site in your area to discover the whirlwind of activity happening beneath those seemingly still trees - you'll find out that life in the outdoors can be so sweet! Enjoy! Kathe
& Betsy |
Featured Nature Net Site
Nature Craft
Aldo
Leopold Nature Center
The
Aldo Leopold Nature Center (ALNC) maintains 47 acres situated at the foot
of a handsome wooded glacial drumlin.
Celebrated for its recent installment of a child-scaled replica of
the original “shack” once inhabited by the world renowned Naturalist
and author, Aldo Leopold, and his family, ALNC is the perfect spot to
enjoy a hands-on experience of Leopold’s way of life.
Also, be sure to visit the surrounding prairie trails and dipping
pond.
Families can enjoy nature hikes with interpretive trail signs
designed in collaboration with Leopold’s children, Wisconsin pond and
prairie wildlife, or check out a Family Backpack filled with tools and
ideas for outdoor exploration.
Dedicated to the teaching ideals of Aldo Leopold, the Nature Center
is a well-rounded oasis in the midst of the Madison area!
No
Bake Maple CookiesAfter a brisk spring day finding Sugar Maple trees, nothing warms your belly more than hearty cookies with hot cocoa. The following recipe captures the unique taste of maple using maple sugar, found in your local grocery or specialty store.
Ingredients:
2 cups maple sugar
˝ cup milk
˝ cup shortening
˝ tsp. salt
1 tsp vanilla
3 cups quick oats
6 tblsp. peanut butter
Bring the maple sugar, milk, shortening, salt and vanilla to full rolling boil (ask your parents for help), stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in oats and peanut butter. Drop on waxed paper by spoonfuls. Let set about 1 hour or until firm.
Heat up the cocoa and enjoy!
(Nature Craft idea from Wis. DNR's EEK!)
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