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Learning the Art of Maple Sugaring

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Professors Kruger and Pauli teach the art of maple sugaring to undergrads
Drs. Kruger and Pauli introduce students to maple tree sugaring. Photo credit: Lakeshore Nature Preserve
Dr. Jon Pauli, Professor of F&WE and Faculty Director of BioHouse, led his BioHouse seminar students to Lakeshore Nature Preserve last Spring, where Dr. Eric Kruger, Professor and Chair of F&WE, introduced students to the science behind maple tree sugaring (also called maple tapping). 
 
Maple sugaring is the process of collecting sap that flows through maple trees, then turning that sap into maple syrup. Mastering the nuances of maple sugaring—from preparing for the sugaring season to determining the best times for sap collection, and from selecting prime tree candidates for tapping to collecting and processing the sap—is an art in many ways. And understanding the physiology and behavior of sap in maple trees is one of the first steps for becoming acquainted with this art.
 
Dr. Kruger’s demonstration on maple sugaring was just one of the glimpses into the thriving scientific community at UW that BioHouse students were given last spring. BioHouse is the residential learning community at UW that aims to expose students to the various biological science majors, core concepts of biology, and current challenges facing our world’s biosphere and human societies. By introducing these students to an array of topics in biology, such as the tree physiology behind maple sugaring. the students get to see how they can get involved with scientific work on campus, especially in an area that peaks their curiosity.

If you’re interested in learning more about the BioHouse program, please read more here. 

 

 

Curious about identifying maple trees ?

Have you ever wondered how to identify maple trees that can be used to make maple syrup? Sugaring season typically begins around the end of February, depending on temperatures, when the snow starts melting and sap starts running. But autumn months, when trees still have their leaves, is a great time to acquaint yourself with the distinguishing characteristics of the three main maple species in Wisconsin. To learn more about maple species identification, check out this article and video by Darrin Kimbler, UW-Madison Extension Educator. And to read about the new Wisconsin Extension maple syrup program—specifically designed to support maple syrup production and forest health throughout the state—see this article by Jenna Mertz,

This article was posted in Uncategorized.
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