Register for maple syrup program in Oak Brook

Maple syrup season is a sure sign that spring is right around the corner. To find out where maple syrup comes from, attend "Get Sticky! Maple Syrup Sunday" on March 13 at Fullersburg Woods Nature Education Center, 3609 Spring Road, Oak Brook.

The program from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. features a 75-minute guided stroll through the woods to discover the secret of turning tree sap into syrup. Families, individuals, and Scout and youth groups are welcome at the all-ages program, which costs $10 per person. Optional activity patches are available for $1. Advanced registration is required and available online at dupageforest.org or by calling (630) 850-8112.

To make syrup, sap is collected from trees and then boiled until the remaining liquid has the right sugar content. Depending on the initial sugar content of the sap, 40 to 50 gallons of sap are needed to make one gallon of syrup. Maple syrup is produced only in certain parts of the U.S. and Canada and only at this time of year due to specific weather requirements. Maple syrup was once one of the few sweeteners available in much of North America.

"This popular program offers a glimpse into the behind-the-scenes process of making maple syrup," said Forest Preserve District Commissioner Jeffrey Redick, District 2.