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ESF Celebrates Maple Syrup Weekend March 22-24
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – March 22, 2024 - No stack of pancakes is complete without the sweet taste of maple syrup, and this weekend you can stock up on maple syrup fresh from the tap during Maple Weekend at ESF’s Heiberg Memorial Forest.
Maple syrup will be for sale at the sugarhouse from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. March 22 and 23. People are encouraged to bring 16-ounce canning jars to reduce the use of plastic. Jars will be filled for $10 a pint. Bottled syrup will also be available for purchase. A portion of syrup sales benefits student scholarships.
The bring-your-own-jar initiative is extremely popular, according to Jill Rahn, ESF forest resource analyst who coordinates Maple Weekend. “I expect we’ll see a lot of glass jars since we filled 450 during last year’s Maple Weekend,” she said.
Saturday features sugarbush and sugarhouse tours. Guided walks along the Heiberg Forest trails take place at 2 and 3:30 p.m., and visitors can learn how syrup is made and enjoy interactive environmental education and stewardship activities presented by environmental studies students.
“Maple weekend is an incredible way for ESF to engage with the community,” said Associate Professor Shari Dann, “as people not only leave with maple syrup but also with knowledge about their environment.”
A pancake breakfast rounds out the weekend on Sunday. The breakfast, from 8-11 a.m., will be served by ESF’s Forest Properties staff and Forestry Club. The Timbersports team will be demonstrating sawing and chopping techniques used in competitions.
The all-you-can-eat breakfast is $10 for adults, $8 for children 5-12 and seniors, and children under 5 eat free. There are no sugarhouse/sugarbush tours on Sunday. Maple syrup will be on sale in the sugarhouse all three days.
Heiberg Forest is located at 7393 Maple Ridge Road, Tully. Heiberg Memorial Forest is a member of the New York State Maple Association.
About SUNY ESF
The SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) is dedicated to the study of the environment, developing renewable technologies, and building a sustainable and resilient future through design, policy, and management of the environment and natural resources. Members of the College community share a passion for protecting the health of the planet and a deep commitment to the rigorous application of science to improve the way humans interact with the world. The College offers academic programs ranging from the associate of applied science to the Doctor of Philosophy. ESF students live, study and do research on the main campus in Syracuse, N.Y., and on 25,000 acres of field stations in a variety of ecosystems across the state.
Dana Fries, writing intern in ESF’s Office of Communications and Marketing, contributed to this story.