Lester Park Early Childhood Family Education (ECFE) students are planning field trips to Bagley Nature Center to learn about collecting maple syrup. The toddlers and their parents will be tapping trees on Monday, March 28 at 9:30 and 10:30 a.m.
Bagley is on UMD’s campus at W. Saint Marie Street, and the activity takes place in the area west of Rock Pond.
Recreational Sports Outdoor Program (RSOP) students will lead the groups. “Their majors vary, but they have a common goal of sharing their passion for the outdoors with others,” says Tim Bates, associate director of RSOP.
The Lester Park students are one of many groups who visit UMD to learn about the maple syrup process. Tapping begins on March 23 and is scheduled to continue through April 8.
“Student leaders often go into teaching this program with a bit of trepidation, but after working with the children and building their teaching skills, they end up loving it and looking forward to the next year,” says Bates.
UMD has been hosting maple syruping school groups since the 1980s.