TAP Your Trees For Fun & Syrup!

Many residential trees can be tapped for syrup including Sugar Maples, Silver Maples, Hickories, Black Walnuts, and even Sycamore trees. Tapping is a fun family activity or a way to connect with neighbors. Learn how to tap your sweet trees – it’s a great way to welcome Spring and chase away the Winter Blues! Topics covered: • How to identify the right trees to tap • The basic equipment you need -- and where to buy it • Where and how to drill tap holes • How to collect your tree sap • How to convert your sap into sweet syrup! Class begins inside with a brief history and basic information about the science of tapping. We’ll taste-test several locally sourced syrups as well as plain sap. Then we’ll head outside to demonstrate tapping on a few trees at the Columbus Garden School. You’ll leave this class with a handout outlining the resources and information you need to tap your trees for syrup. IF YOU'D LIKE TO PURCHASE EQUIPMENT to tap your own trees, be sure to select that option when registering for this workshop: + $5 for a single tree tap (spile) + $20 includes tap, bucket + lid, and 3 ft. tubing Maple syrup contains antioxidants, essential vitamins and minerals, and has a lower glycemic index score than other sugars. If you have access to these trees in your yard or neighborhood, then learn how easy it is to get your sticky fingers on some homegrown syrup. Dress appropriately for weather and uneven ground. Class is held rain, snow, or shine. Class is limited to 12 students; well-behaved children are welcomed but everyone must have their own ticket. Bring your camera and make some memories! INSTRUCTORS: DAVID WILLIAMS grew up between the cornfields of North-Central Ohio, near the Big Island Wildlife Preservation in Marion County. He leads edible plant webinars and walks for Wild Ones Columbus, Friends of the Lower Olentangy Watershed (FLOW), the Native American Indian Center of Central Ohio, and is a Maple Guide/Sugar Shack “Cooker” at the Stratford Ecological Center. He’s also a local writer, poet, podcaster, and a member of the Horror Writers Association. After a childhood spent outside and many years of Girl Scouts, it was only natural that AMANDA REUTER went into a career that linked science and education: first as a teacher, then as part of McGraw Hill’s Middle School Science textbook team. A member of Wild Ones Columbus, Appalachia Ohio Alliance, and FLOW, she spends her free time creating new recipes made from native plants.