Sap Boiling Season in the Woods Primes (K/1)

Our Maple Sugaring season has (almost) come to an end, and we would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who came to the fire and helped make this year’s sugar boil a success. Making maple syrup is a perfect example of how many hands make life delicious! 

Thank you to the woods primes for walking (accumulated) miles through knee deep snow, uphill both ways through the sugar bush to consult and tap the trees, and their repeated visits to gather the harvest. 

There are four jobs while tapping a tree; one can be a driller, tapper, bucket hanger, or bucket hat operator. After a moment of negotiation, everyone assumes their role and lines up in order for support, and to listen while the driller gets more specific instructions. Of one gets bored or needs heavy work, there is always bittersweet to pull out of the earth to protect the sugarbush.

On one particular mission, while tapping in Lumberdale, the drill battery was dying and it was harder to get the drill out of the tree. This was a first, and this teacher didn’t think to say, “If it gets hard to get the drill out of the tree, don’t wiggle the drill.” Sooo. 

The drill bit snapped. 

Everyone froze.

The driller held their hand over the opening, and someone asked, “Waaaait. What just haaapened?”

The driller pressed their hand harder on the tree. While the teacher explained that accidents happen, and that the tree would heal just like the others, and everything would be okay.

This did little to nothing to shift the mood. Reassurances were not the remedy.

Everyone just started singing:

“I behold you beautiful one

I behold you child of the earth and sun.

Let my love wash over you

Let my love watch over you.”

The driller peeked under their hand to see if the healing energy of the song was working yet, and led another round. 

The driller decided that the tree should not be tapped again for a long time because the drill bit will be in it forever, like the barbed wire. It would need a longer time to heal. This moment stopped the tapping for the season, because Kid Power is taking care of all living things, even if it means not having as much maple syrup in the end. They decided 12 buckets was enough for now. 

Weather is the indicator and influencer of Maple Sugar Season, it tells us when the window of sappability opens, and it also lets us know when the tree needs to close and heal itself for the new growing season. This year the blanket of winter snow came after many of the spiles were put in the trees and it became clear that we needed more kid power to manage the hauling and sloshing of the transportation barrels through slippery, snow. Luckily there were some Middles available  to help join the collecting efforts! Many of the helpers were former Lumber primes- the original sap tapping squad, now able to lift the buckets of sap off the trees and pour the coveted liquid without spilling a drop, while they reminisce about their younger selves, and life in the forest. In total they helped haul about 75 gallons of sap. 

Thank you to the many classes who helped the fire happen by going to gather branches and limbs from the nearby forest, and to the Wonder Primes for helping break them into smaller pieces to feed the fire, and the one that built the fire and struck the match that started the big boil.

Uppers weren’t able to help with the boiling, and building of the sugar stove this year. But this syrup design would not have been possible without learning from last year’s “Big Mama” and “Uncle Jebediah” that the seventh graders built. Big Mama was nearly flawless; she devoured wood, her intake vent was perfectly facing the wind, she was so cooperative! Uncle Jebediah was fickle and temperamental, and needed constant attention. His intake was facing away from the wind and was on the same side as the chimney. This year, the rocket stove was a Maple Syrup kiln that made liquid gold faster than any system so far.

The last batch was finished last Thursday during the dismissal after the Woods Primes boiled again in the meadow all day. 

This second boil brought us to a whopping total of one and a half gallons of the most delicious smoked syrup one can imagine. 

Children cleaned the meadow and forest and especially enjoyed disassembling the stove and harvesting charcoal for face paint and bakery ingredients. When the forest was tidy and rhe meadow refreshed, everyone enjoyed a mug of maple seltzer from the pop up soda shoppe. Kids raised a mug,  “To maple trees, and bubbles!”

Now they are planning the last step of the season: Trash Cafe. The annual event to celebrate the end of sap season to cash in their trash for pancakes!

Here are their ideas so far: