Springtime at Hawthorn Hollow Nature Sanctuary is Maple Sugarin’ Time! The volunteers and staff will soon start tapping sugar maples, harvesting and processing the sap, and bottling the delicious syrup. This year, Hawthorn Hollow is offering maple sugaring programs earlier than ever, with field trip bookings starting as early as February 18.
“Planning for a successful season began months ago,” says Ryan Retzke, Naturalist and Education Manager at Hawthorn Hollow. “We’re thrilled to continue offering this unique, hands-on experience to school groups and families in our community. Hawthorn Hollow’s maple sugaring programs are a wonderful way to connect with nature and learn about this sweet process firsthand.”
Sugar maple sap can only be harvested under specific conditions. When the temperature drops below freezing, the sap is stored in the roots underground to prevent freezing. When the temperature rises above freezing, the sap moves up the trunk into the branches. The key to harvesting is to catch it when it’s moving back and forth. The freeze-thaw cycle we experience during springtime is when this happens most often. During this time of year, you’ll often see buckets hanging from tree trunks all around the Great Lakes region. Collecting sap is just the first step in making maple syrup. To turn sap into syrup, you have to boil it down until almost all the water is gone, leaving behind the thick, sticky stuff we know as maple syrup. It takes 40 gallons of sap to make just one gallon of maple syrup! Hawthorn Hollow uses a six-tray evaporator, which spreads the sap out on top of a big wood-burning stove to speed up the evaporation process. Once the syrup reaches the right consistency, it’s immediately bottled. This whole process happens in Mary’s Sugar Shack, a separate building built in 2012 with money from the Mary Frost Ashley Foundation.
To share this special experience with the public, Hawthorn Hollow will be hosting its popular “Maple Sugarin’ Time” program for adults and families on Saturday, February 22nd and March 1st. This program tells you about Native American traditions and methods for capturing and cooking maple syrup, also known as sugaring. The Sugar Maple and the history of maple sugaring are really important parts of Wisconsin’s heritage. You’ll get to experience the art and traditions of maple sugaring through hands-on activities like tree identification and tapping, sap cooking, and a crafting session.
The Maple Sugarin’ Time program is for families and adults. You need to register in advance. This is a 2-hour outdoor program, so dress for the weather. There might be snow or mud on the trails, so boots are a good idea.
The cost to register is $15 per person (plus a fee), kids under three are free. For tickets, go to
