field trip!

[40to1]

So my son's second grade class is coming for a field trip.
The angle is that they are studying trees and the environment around them.
Twenty kids.
The plan is to have four groups of five tap four trees, collect sap from previously tapped trees (if there is any), watch the evaporator (boil water if there's no sap), and then taste some maple sugar and maple syrup.
There will be plenty of adults.

But what should I watch out for?
What is the curve ball that I'm not anticipating?
Any words of caution? What works well and what doesn't?
Any horror stories?

Thanks in advance for any suggestions....

[firetech]

I think this is a great thread to have devopled. We need to educate folks on the process of making syrup and our commitment to protecting our enviorment. I've done Project RED with our county FB but have never had a group at the sugar house. But I'm sure it is only a matter of time. So let get this going to help all the newer producers.

[Ausable]

So my son's second grade class is coming for a field trip.
The angle is that they are studying trees and the environment around them.
Twenty kids.
The plan is to have four groups of five tap four trees, collect sap from previously tapped trees (if there is any), watch the evaporator (boil water if there's no sap), and then taste some maple sugar and maple syrup.
There will be plenty of adults.

But what should I watch out for?
What is the curve ball that I'm not anticipating?
Any words of caution? What works well and what doesn't?
Any horror stories?

Thanks in advance for any suggestions....

Have Fun -- Kids that age like Noise - Action ---etc. Adults are easy -- the kids will be the challenge. In my former life - One of my jobs was a Hydro Electric Dam Operator and we had to give tours to school groups - So - kinda learn what the audience wants - For the Kids -- Make Lots of Steam - Let them sample the syrup and get sticky (lol - they are not your kids) Let them ----hmmmm tap a hemlock - pine - popple - trees you don't care about --- You get the idea -- and don't get upset if nobody really listens to you -- Good Luck and have fun ---- Mike

[Farmboy]

I've had one little kid throw a rock in my evaporator pan. I really wanted to use the kids hand to get it back out but I used a pair of channel locks to pull the rock out. Don't get to indepth or talk about the #s and stuff other than like 40 to one. I have siblings that age and sometimes it easier when they don't "help" so run you pans deep and have someone else there to run it so you can concentrate on the kids.

[stoweski]

My advice? Have fun! They're 7-8 years old as you know. They'll be running all throughout your bush. Then they'll be wiping their snotty noses on everything inside the sugarhouse when they come in. :)

Enjoy the experience. Make some little sap haulers out of 'em!

[adk1]

No Peeing in the buckets :)..or dumping buckets on one another like the winning coach gets at the end of a football game... haha. you will be fine

[peckfarm]

"Does it hurt the tree?"

No Johnny, trees don't have feelings.

"Are you killing the trees?"

No Nancy, we are giving it a tiny little cut smaller than the smallest pin to make sure it is alive. To thanks us for checking the tree gives us sweet water in return.

[crackher]

I host a whole buunch of these each year.
Beavers
Cubs
Hunting Federations kids groups
and private tours

I have learnt one thing. Have fun, the second the kids warm up to you you will get bombarded with questions the best thing to do is answer a couple through example if you can:

Some of the more popular questions
What does the sap taste like?
Let them try a bit of sap right from the bucket
What does the sap in the pan (the one that is boiling taste like)
even if this is water boild for show let them taste it...but be sure to cool it down first
How old are the trees
I always have a treet ring from a tree that we had to cur down
how much sap does it take

By far the coolest thing you can do, if you have help is to make some old fashioned maple hard candy on the snow.....:o the looks on their faces are priceless...especially today since parnets are soooo anti germ, eating something that was on the ground is a taboo...but once they see you do it and try it...there is no turning back (also good for sales)

lastly make sure you have syrup for sale, parents will be in a perfect presure environment to by something that they already tried, their kids like and is good for them

[TF Maple]

I filtered the sap from a bucket before I gave it to the third graders last year at my place. Have some small paper cups for them and I filtered the sap into a pitcher for easy pouring.

They will ask if you can get sap from any tree. I also got a lot of questions from the parents so you might want to brush up on plant physiology and the basics of sap flow from this sight. http://employees.csbsju.edu/ssaupe/biol327/Lab/maple/maple-sap.htm

[ejmaple]

good stuff, i'll need to brush up on my maple knowledge too, i have a scout troop comming in two weeks. i was also asked to do a boiling demonstration up at the local ski area, still have to think about that one. they said i could sell my syrup there :D i'll have to brake out my old barrel evaporator to do this up on the mountain.

[collinsmapleman2012]

i go with a mobile maple exhibit to NYC 2x a year, and teach young schoolchildren about maple syrup. be ready for any question, and dont be nervous. biggest thing is have fun, be safe and give them hands on experience. they absolutely love it!!

[cvmaple]

We hosted a class of school kids one year at my cousin's operation and after showing them the evaporator, we divided them into two groups and took them back to the bush in a decommissioned manure spreader (the chaperoning mothers loved this) with straw bales for seats. The kids saw something exciting in the woods and they all ran and got soakers from water under the snow. The second group nearly got the tractor stuck in the lane. I guess what I am trying to say is there is no anticipating where that curve ball is going to come from. However even if they all get wet feet they are going to have more fun than sitting in a classroom. GOOD LUCK!!!