Greenwich Land Trust will host Maple Sugar Day on Saturday, Feb. 28, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Mueller Preserve, inviting families to learn how sap becomes syrup through a process rooted in North American history.
The event will feature handson demonstrations, educational stations throughout the preserve and maple syrup samples, along with food truck offerings. Admission is $10 per person; children 5 and under are free. Advance registration is required due to limited capacity, according to the Greenwich Land Trust.
Maple sugaring depends on a narrow seasonal window. As winter loosens its grip, cold nights followed by warmer days create internal pressure changes within maple trees. Sap, composed of roughly 98 percent water and 2 percent sugar, begins to flow. Producers tap mature, healthy trees— typically those at least 12 inches in diameter—to collect the sap, which is then boiled to evaporate water and concentrate its sugars.
To produce maple syrup, the sap must be heated to approximately 219 degrees Fahrenheit. At that temperature, the liquid thickens and reaches the density required for syrup. It is then filtered, adjusted and graded for flavor and color. The ratio underscores the labor involved: about 40 gallons of sap are required to yield a single gallon of syrup.
While sugar maples are most commonly associated with syrup production, other species— including Rocky Mountain maple, sycamore, black walnut and birch—can also be tapped, each producing sap with distinct flavor characteristics.
The tradition of maple sugaring predates European settlement. Indigenous peoples of North America developed early methods of collecting and concentrating sap, including making incisions in tree bark and using heated stones to evaporate water. Oral histories recount origin stories, including an Iroquois legend of a chief discovering sap after throwing his tomahawk into a tree. For Native communities, maple sugaring was both sustenance and seasonal ritual, providing a vital source of nutrition at the end of winter.
European colonists adopted and adapted those techniques, introducing metal tools and larger kettles that expanded production. Over time, maple sugaring became commercialized. Today, states such as Vermont and New York lead national production, using tubing systems and modern evaporators to increase efficiency.
At Mueller Preserve, the focus will remain educational and experiential. Families will move between stations to observe the tapping process, see sap boiled down and learn how syrup is graded. Organizers describe the day as an opportunity to connect seasonal change with a tangible outcome.
“Out on Greenwich Land Trust preserves, the woods, wetlands, and meadows may look still, but they’re very much alive. Chickadees chatter, woodpeckers tap out a steady rhythm, and fox and rabbit tracks weave through fresh snow,” Will Kies, executive director of the Greenwich Land Trust, wrote in a seasonal message to supporters. “Trees have pulled their energy inward, sugars tucked away in their roots, waiting for that late-winter magic of cold nights and warmer days that gets sap flowing once again.”
He added, “With a little luck and the right temperatures, the coming weeks could make for a fine maple sugaring season— one of winter’s sweetest rewards and a sure sign that spring is beginning to stir beneath the surface.”
This year’s Maple Sugar Day coincides with a milestone for the organization. “This winter is especially meaningful as we celebrate GLT’s 50th year of conserving and caring for Greenwich’s open spaces,” Kies wrote. “For five decades, through mild winters and wicked cold ones alike, our community has come together to protect the land that defines this place we call home.”
The Mueller Preserve, one of several properties maintained by the Greenwich Land Trust, provides a setting where ecological education intersects with conservation practice. Maple sugaring, organizers say, illustrates both natural cycles and responsible land stewardship.
As Kies noted, “As we look ahead to spring—and the next fifty years—we’re grateful for the steady rhythm of the seasons and for everyone who helps make our preserves thrive, no matter what the weather throws our way.”
Registration for Maple Sugar Day is available online through the Greenwich Land Trust website.
Register at https://gltrust.givecloud.co/maplesugarday
