While syrup tapping has been a tradition at Chautauqua Lake Central School since 2023, recent collaborative efforts have brought the fourth graders from the Bemus Point school district into the event as well. Taking students outside of the traditional classroom setting, the activity explores the Chautauqua Lake campus to give students a closer connection to nature while teaching the centuries-old craft of making maple syrup.

The students’ efforts began during the first week of March. The task saw the students battling against the harsh weather, going into the woods to seek out trees. Students prepared by dressing in winter jackets and boots, as the journey required tackling steep terrains and wet conditions. Once the lessons began the instructors invited students to participate in the process, teaching the entirety of the sapping procedure in a hands-on fashion.

“The outdoor classroom and the hands-on process of tapping trees to make maple syrup offer strong educational value across multiple areas–academic, social, and emotional,” said Denny Morrison, a fourth-grade teacher at Chautauqua Lake. “It’s especially powerful because students are actively doing rather than just listening. Plus it gave the students a chance to be outside after a long, cold winter indoors”

Morrison, a science and social studies teacher, was a big part of coordinating this event initially, according to dual district superintendent Joshua Liddell. Liddell stated that Morrison was eager to expand the curriculum in these two classes through a hands-on approach. When looking into ideas Morrison would discover the New York State Agriculture in the Classroom Schoolyard Sugaring Maple Challenge, jumping at the opportunity.

Presenters show students the proper way of tapping the tree.

“This project shows how powerful hands-on, real-world learning can be for our students. Having Bemus Point and Chautauqua Lake students work side by side made it even more special, creating a shared student experience that was not only educational, but also fun and memorable,” said Liddell. “Opportunities like this help students connect what they learn to the community around them, and the excitement they showed during the project demonstrates its impact.”

The full week of fun also saw the teachers explaining the science of the sapping process to the students. Students were able to first see the process of reverse osmosis occurring. This is seen in some of the first steps when the sap is put into a machine that separates some of the liquid and impurities out. The students are also able to see the evaporation process in the machine reasonably known as The Evaporator. This machine removes remaining moisture to bring the syrup to a thicker consistency. Finally, the students saw the end of the process, finishing the syrup to prepare it for consumption. This consisted of the students learning about filtering and, most importantly, the tasting of fresh maple syrup and maple cream.

“Bemus Point Elementary students were thrilled to participate in the maple sugar project. Before the field trip, students prepared by learning about the maple sugaring process. They greatly enjoyed the hands-on experience of tapping the trees and working with the specialized equipment,” said Erin Archer, Bemus Point Elementary School principal. “The highlight for all students was sampling the various maple products, with the maple cream being the clear, unanimous favorite. We look forward to making this project a continuing tradition for years to come.”

The instructor prepares the bag that will collect the syrup.

Presenters prepare the syrup for consumption.

Students look at the various types of syrups.

Students line up to taste the freshly produced syrups.