ESF Hosts Mini Maple Weekend at Heiberg Forest

3/14/2021

The SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) will host the mini maple fest at its Heiberg Forest in Tully, New York from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. March 20 and 21.

The College's Forest Properties staff has been busy tapping trees, boiling sap, and making syrup for the last month and is ready to share it in a celebration of maple syrup season. On average, the College produces approximately 800 gallons of syrup a year.

As part of the College's Break Free from Plastic's pledge, visitors are encouraged to bring their own 16-ounce canning jars to the sugarhouse where they will be filled with hot, fresh maple syrup for $10. A portion of syrup sales benefits student scholarships.

If you don't have a jar, jugs of maple syrup will be available for purchase. Cash or check made out to "SUNY ESF" will be accepted for payment.

In 2020, ESF was the first New York state college to sign the #breakfreefromplastic campus pledge, committing to develop a roadmap to a plastic-free campus by 2025. The pledge was developed by Post-Landfill Action Network (PLAN) and is part of the Break Free From Plastic movement, which was started in 2016 to eliminate single-use plastic internationally.

Visitors to Heiberg Forest will need to wear masks and maintain social distancing. Due to the small size of the sugarhouse, visitors will not be allowed inside. Brochures will be available for visitors to use on self-guided tours.