Maple Sugaring in Fairfield County
First, a confession: I feel a little like this prolonged winter may be my fault. For the last few years, my family has ushered in spring by adopting a maple tree at the New Canaan Nature Center (one of our favorite outdoor spots in Fairfield County), and we have happily counted down the last few days of winter by wandering out into the snow to collect our sap and appreciate the arrival of the spring thaw.
This year, however, our schedules got busy and we decided to forgo this ritual, and now we appear to be stuck in endless winter. Coincidence? I think not.
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New Canaan Nature Center and Ambler Farm are two places that offer tree adoption programs that enable your family to experience the entirety of the sugaring season (both programs are already underway but we hear that, due to the slow start to the season, the New Canaan Nature Center still has a handful of trees available for adoption*). You are responsible for checking your tree (usually a few times a week, depending on weather) and carting the sap to a central collection point where it is boiled down and ultimately bottled.
Sometimes these treks in the woods were arduous--especially when the snow was deep and our chosen tree (dubbed Mabel the Maple) was far off the beaten trail--but most of the time, the kids were only too eager to make wagers on the sap quantity, show off their strength in hauling the sap bucket, and then get happily sidetracked poking at the pond ice or chatting with the naturalists in the sugar house.
The cold temperatures mean that the maple sap isn't flowing all that steadily in most of Connecticut so there are still plenty of opportunities to experience sugaring process at every stage. There are fabulous places to visit in Litchfield County and Hartford County. Here are some of our favorites in Fairfield County:
February 28th
Saturday Boil Down at the New Canaan Nature Center (New Canaan)--Gather round the sugar house to see how maple sap--which looks just like water--turns into the amber-colored syrup we all love. Naturalists will be on hand to answer questions. (Young kids, in particular, should wear snow clothes and boots for tromping around the grounds. There is a small hill behind the visitor's center that is perfect for sledding--bring your own or borrow one of the few they have on hand to lend.) Free.
March 3rd
Maple Tapping Winter Walk (Greenwich)--See a maple tapping and syrup boiling demonstration and learn what goes into making this breakfast favorite! Non-Members/$25, Members/$15, Children under 12 are free.
March 6th
Boil Down Under the Stars (New Canaan)--Head out to the sugar shack at the New Canaan Nature Center for a special evening boil down, where you and the entire family will discover how to make delicious maple syrup while playing fun, interactive maple-inspired games, before sharing native and traditional folklore stories around the campfire. Free.
March 7th
Maple Syrup Open House at Ambler Farm (Wilton)--See how maple trees are tapped and sap is turned into syrup. Also March 14th. Free. RESCHEDULED TO MARCH 14th and 21st.
Maple Sugaring Family Event at the Trumbull Nature and Art Center (Trumbull)--Join a Trumbull park ranger to see how a maple tree is tapped and learn how sap is made into sweet syrup over a campfire. Hiking, snacks and crafts too! Free.
Maple Sugaring at Warrup's Farm (Redding)--Watch the wood fired evaporator boil away, see the buckets on the trees, and visit the barnyard animals. Maple syrup and maple candy will also be available for sale. Every weekend until the end of March. Free.
Maple Sugar Festival Weekend (Stamford)--Celebrate the sweetness of the maple sugaring season at this annual festival at the Stamford Museum & Nature Center. Visit the little red sugarhouse and see firsthand how sap is turned into maple syrup. Witness how trees are tapped, see how sap is collected, make a maple-themed craft, go on a scavenger hunt, have your face painted, and sing and dance to live music. Also March 8th. Members/$5, Non-Members/$10, children 3 & under are free.
March 21st
Syrup Saturday and Pancake Brunch (New Canaan)--Whether you've been working hard taking care of your own tree all winter or just watching from the sidelines, all are welcome out by the Sugar Shack to celebrate the bounty from this year’s Syrup Season. The day will include tree tapping demos, a real maple sap boil down, and a look into the past of historic and native methods of producing maple syrup. Members/$8, Non-Members/$12, children 2 & under are free.
*To adopt a tree at the New Canaan Nature Center for the 2015 sugaring season, call Marianne Dec at 203-966-9577.
Places featured in this article:
Warrup's Farm
Trumbull Nature and Arts Center
Stamford Museum & Nature Center