River Trail Nature Center holds maple syrup celebration

Posted March 18, 2015 1:00 am

Submitted by Cook County

River Trail Nature Center will host its annual maple syrup celebration 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, March 22, at 3120 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Northbrook.

As daytime temperatures rise above 40 degrees and nights still drop below freezing, the sap in sugar maples starts to flow.

Visitors can enjoy a full day of family activities, including:

• Tree-tapping walks in the sugar bush

• Demonstrations of Native American, pioneer and modern maple syrup production

• Free maple syrup samples with French toast sticks

• Food vendors with hot dogs and home-baked goods

• Puppet shows and other children's activities

• 3 p.m. "grand finale" feeding program of some of the nature center's resident animals

River Trail's iconic Sugar Shack has recently undergone a major renovation. It now has a new shingle roof, new lighting, and a concrete floor with viewing area that make it fully accessible. The evaporator in the shack gets fired up each year to demonstrate how it takes 40 gallons of sap to make a single gallon of maple syrup.

Admission is free. Visitors can park at the nature center. Overflow parking, with a free shuttle to the nature center, is at Allison Woods, Lake Avenue Woods East and Lake Avenue Woods West.

Article Comments

Article Comments

Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.