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I al)c (Tunathan Statesman BOWMANVILLE, ONTARIO, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30.1983 fwAl. r \j J L v';, t.'Jj/cj (y ;/<■? iV ; - ; ; : ! ! . / * .'■» - r , r* •; * //v- , ; r • >v/ v't .<-/"••• -, < iv : * * * Educational programmer Alex Walters shows trees to be tapped, students a measuring stick used to test the width of By Peter Parrott Why does'the sap flow better on the sunny side of the trees? Are maple trees harmed by being tapped? Who invented maple syrup anyway? These are just a few of the Q uestions answered by staff at te Ganaraska Forest Centre when a group of grade six students visited the Centre's sugarbush. The students were among the first of 1500 school pupils who will learn about the harvesting of maple syrup products at the educational facilities northeast of Kendal. Students visiting the Centre on Friday, March 18 were from St. Joseph's School in Bowmanville. They were taking taking part in a three-day overnight overnight program. However, the centre is widely widely used by all local boards of education, both for day trips and for overnight outings. "I like to run a hands-on program," said Larry Aiken, educational co-ordinator for the Ganaraska Forest Centre. ■ Follow the St. Joseph's students students through the maple forest during a morning of working and learning and you'll understand understand what Mr. Aiken means by hands-on experience. The students are first given a tour of the sugarbush and taught the facts of maple syrup and the annual running of sap. They learn, for example, that taps do not harm the trees so Idng as they are properly installed and remove only about 10 per cent of the total volume of sap. They learn that warmth from the sun can help stimulate sap flow and therefore therefore taps on the sunny side of a tree are best. Students also learn that the secret of maple syrup was discovered by Indians and passed on to Europeans. Alex Waters, educational programmer for the centre, speculated that Indians might have .discovered the sap through a hatchet-throwing An alternative method to tapping individual is shown here. This system of pipelines move trees from trees on the hillside to this central drum, moves sap Mara O'Brien, one of the St. Joseph's students visiting the Ganaraska Forest Centre recently, Group from St. Joseph's school pauses at the foot sap before it has been made into concentrated of one of the maple trees to taste some of the raw syrup. competition in which maple trees were the target. A hatchet might have pierced a tree enough to bring out the sweet sap, and by boiling this substances maple syrup and maple sugar were discovered. Whatever its origin, modern Canadians touring a sugarbush sugarbush will probably agree that the discover); of maple syrup was an historical landmark. : As well as learning about the manufacturing process through their walk through the forest and visit to the sugar shack, students took a turn at emptying pails from the trees and carrying the sap to the boilers. It takes about 40 litres of sap to produce just one litre of svrup. The Ganaraska Forest Centre can make about 33 gallons in a typical year. Most of it is used on the breakfast pancakes of students who stay at the centre during the residential residential program. It is also used during the popular "Maple Syrup Day" when the public is invited to tour the sugarbush and enjoy pancakes pancakes with fresh syrup. Larry Aiken noted that during during a year, the various programs programs operated at the centre attract over 5,000 visitors. Just a few of the activities located here include: tree identification, wildlife management, edible plants, outdoor skills, map reading, forest management, and a variety of other topics related to conservation, recreation, or environmental studies. Larry Aiken pointed out that the philosophy behind the Centre is to encourage people to take an interest in their environment. Skills and knowledge knowledge gained at the Centre give young people a foundation foundation for understanding their. world and a sensitivity to their environment. "In some way, I think all education should include education education in the outdoors," said Mr. Aiken. Operated by the Ganaraska Region Conservation Authority, Authority, the Centre has a full-time and part-time staff of seven persons who not only lead programs but also maintain the centre. The majority of activities are geared for the grade six level, but programs for classes from kindergarten to grade 13 can be arranged. In addition to its weèkday activities for students, the Centre operates regular programs programs for the general public. Coming up on Saturday, May 28, is a spring program featuring featuring two-hour nature walks dealing with insects, botany, birds, and edible wild plants. It's just another example of the Centre's efforts to provide the public with "hands-on" experience in the great outdoors. outdoors.