Maple Sugar Tours in March
Saturdays, March 1 and 8 and Sunday, March 2
Tours times: 1:00 and 3:00 p.m.
Interactive, outdoor, family hike
Trees are a gift from the earth; they produce many products that we use everyday. Maple syrup is one of these products. Celebrate this gift by participating in a Maple Sugar Tour. Learn about the science of spring, how sunny days and chilly nights are important to a good sap run. See how a healthy and productive sugar grove is set up. Understand the magic of photosynthesis and how sap is produced and stored inside deciduous trees. And of course sample some Michigan Maple Syrup! Tour begins with a video inside, followed by a 45 minute hike to the sugar shack (dress for the weather).
-Hiking Spree: earn a special maple medallion for joining this walk.
New program for children age 0-5!
Small Wonders: Maple Sugar Magic
Saturday, March 8 OR Tuesday, March 11 from 9:30-11:30 am
*Fee: Members $2/child, Non-Members $3/child, Free for Adults (no admission fee for program participants)
Explore nature with your child! Interactive nature stations are set-up to encourage learning with your child, including time outdoors (weather permitting). No registration is required; just drop in! Children must be under age 5 and accompanied by an adult.
Pioneer Maple Sugaring
Sunday, March 9 from 2-4 p.m.
**Meet: DeLano Homestead Parking lot, 555 E Ave. Follow sign to Pioneer Sugar Shack.
Outdoor, interactive, family program.
The moment you walk into the Pioneer Woods you know you have entered a special place. The maple trees are very tall and straight and they have been growing there for a hundred years or more. Their ancestors provided sap for the Potawatomi people and then for the pioneer families. These trees provide gallons of clear sap. If the temperature is above freezing you can taste the sap as it drips from a tree into a wooden bucket. Help collect some sap, watch how it is boiled in large kettles then taste the sweet syrup. Talk with experienced sugar makers and learn about the history of America’s oldest agricultural product.
Students Acting and Volunteering for the Environment (S.A.V.E.)
S.A.V.E. is a volunteer, service learning and outdoor education club for teens aged 14-17 that meets monthly September - May. Students will get the opportunity to engage in positive volunteer activities, learn important environmental, life and job skills and take trips out into the field with KNC staff. New members are always welcome! A KNC student membership is only $25!
Saturday, March 15, 11 am – 3 pm
Drop-ins welcome! Please contact Jenny Metz with questions (269) 381-1574 ext. 24 or e-mail jmetz@naturecenter.org
Creative and motivated teens, indoor/outdoor
This month the S.A.V.E. Team will meet on Saturday, March 15 to volunteer for the Maple Sugar Fest. Help the thousands of KNC Visitors learn about our liquid gold and enjoy the coming of spring.
43rd Annual Maple Sugar Festival
Saturday, March 15 and Sunday, March 16
9 am – 5 pm Interpretive Center
Noon – 5 pm DeLano Homestead
Members Free; Non-members $6/adults, $5/seniors, $4/child (4-13), 3 and under Free
*Other fees may apply; see schedule for details
Don’t miss the 43rd Annual Maple Sugar Festival! The best way to celebrate the wonder of spring!
Start the day with delicious pancakes smothered in real maple syrup! Walk along a wooded trail with a KNC Naturalist for a maple sugar tour. Enjoy seeing our mighty Birds of Prey up close and personal. The kids can interact with a puppet show and try some crafts and games. Lively music will fill the air as we welcome back the first signs of spring with another KNC family tradition. Each year we make an effort to make our event more sustainable. This year we will strive to shop locally, purchase organic when possible and re-use and recycle along the way! The proceeds from this yearly fundraiser support KNC programs!
Schedule of Events:
Saturday and Sunday
Interpretive Center
9 am – 2 pm All-you-can-eat Pancake Breakfast* with real Michigan Maple syrup (breakfast cost: $6/adult, $5/senior, $3/children 4-13, 3 and under Free (in addition to admission))
10 am – 4 pm Maple Sugar Tours
9 am – 5 pm Kids activities and crafts
9:30-10 am, 10:30-11 am, 12:30-1 pm Puppet shows
11-Noon, 2-3 pm Birds of Prey programs
2-5 pm Ice Cream w/ Maple Syrup* $2/per serving
Maple Cotton Candy* ($1/bag)
Acoustic music
Maple leaf tattoos
DeLano Homestead
Noon – 5 pm
Pioneer Sugaring Demonstrations
2 – 5 pm Ice Cream w/ Maple Syrup* $2/serving
Horse-drawn wagon rides* $1/person, weather permitting
Blacksmith demonstrations
Traditional crafts
Explore the DeLano House
For a complete schedule visit www.NatureCenter.org and click on the maple leaf!
Egg-citing Natural Dyes
Saturday, March 22, 10 am - Noon
Hands-on indoor activity for families and adults
Make beautiful, unique eggs using dyes made from cabbages, onion skins, and other common kitchen ingredients. Please bring enough hardboiled eggs for your whole family to participate.
Signs of Spring Hike
Sunday, March 23 at 2 pm
Interactive, outdoor, family program
Join naturalist Kara Haas on a relaxing hike in search of signs of spring. Will you find skunk cabbage peaking out of the banks of Trout Run? Come along and find out!
Boomers and Beyond: Frog Fun
Tuesday, March 25, 11 am - 12:30 pm
Adults, ages 55+, Interactive, Outdoor, Social
Learn how to identify the calls of frogs that are a major component of a spring evening chorus. We’ll walk to visit several ponds and take a glimpse into the fun world of amphibians. Hop along with your lunch!
Citizen Science: Nestbox Monitor Training
Thursday, March 27, 6 – 8 pm (classroom) AND Saturday, March 29, 10 am – noon (hands-on hike)
Pre-registration required: (269) 381-1574 ext. 0; Deadline for registration: March 10
*Fee: Members $25, Non-members $30
Adults able to volunteer once per week from approximately April 15 until August 15
Learn how to monitor nestboxes for bluebirds, tree swallows, and house wrens. Then come to the Nature Center weekly and monitor a group of boxes of your very own. This workshop will teach you how to approach a box, identify which species by nest and egg, and estimate the age of nestlings. Assist a licensed bander as they band your nestlings. Each participant will receive training and a kit of resources for monitoring.
Green Living Series: Garlic Mustard
Introducing a new series of programs designed to help you live lightly on the earth and become more knowledgeable about our planet!
Sunday, March 30 at 2 pm
Adult program, indoor/outdoor
Ryan Colliton, Field Director of SWAT, is working on a Master’s Degree from Michigan State University. Ryan has been conducting research on the garlic mustard colonies within KNC grounds. He will share eradication techniques and the science behind the aggressive behavior of this invasive plant. Bring your work gloves and help pull a patch of Garlic Mustard!