Maple syrup hikes are being offered this month at the Edward L. Ryerson Conservation Area in Riverwoods, drawing between 2,000 to 3,000 people.
For more than four decades, educators and volunteers at the Lake County Forest Preserves have conducted annual maple syrup hike programming popular with families, school groups and scout troops. One can learn about the science of converting sap from the preserve’s sugar maple trees into sweet syrup.
Ticketed maple syrup hikes were full on Saturday and walk-ins were not accepted.
“At the end of the month, once our guided programs are finished for the public, we do set up some signage and we have a self-guided trail available,” said Jen Berlinghof, environmental educator for the forest preserves.
“We started that during COVID when we couldn’t have programs, and then we kind of kept it on so if people missed the opportunity they can still come and learn a little bit about the maple syrup process,” she said. “That’s open any time the preserve is open.”
The hourlong paid tour began in the indoor program room of the Welcome Center before a visit outside. The tour group was brought on a boardwalk hike into the woodlands, where attendees could see sap being collected in buckets along trunks.
“So many people are so interested in this,” Berlinghof said. “And it’s a really great way for us to get people out. You’ve kind of been cooped up with the winter.
“It’s kind of our secret way to teach about the science of trees in the guise of maple syruping,” she quipped.
Sap is about 3% sugar, with the rest of it water.
“When sap comes out of the tree, it looks and acts much like water,” Berlinghof said.
Before the noon hike on Saturday 9, visitors were invited to taste samples served by volunteer Lou Salerno of Grayslake.
“We just get the opportunity to share our enjoyment of the outside, and how our community is supporting the outside for our next generations,” Salerno said.
The weekend weather was sunny and in the mid-40s for the second of three public tour weekends in March.
Ryerson tapped 25 trees this year for sampling.
Maple syrup season is, “really weather-dependent,” Berlinghof said. “Typically here in Lake County, we are seeing the correct weather for syrup production. Towards the end of February is typically when we start. And what we’re looking for is when the days are above freezing and warmish, and the nights are still below freezing, those are the conditions that create the sap rising in the tree.
“Its goal is to go out to the branches and feed the buds, but that sap is what we gather at this time of the year, and it kind of rushes up the tree when we have that freeze/thaw condition of day and night,” she said.
Maple syrup season is, “really fun,” Berlinghof added. “It’s really busy.”
Tim and Nicole Schaller of Lake Zurich attended Saturday’s hike with their children Mason, 4, and Chloe, 2, and the children’s grandparents Wayne and Darlene Grant, also of Lake Zurich.
“We want to explain where syrup comes from so we’re here to find that out, hands-on,” Nicole Schaller said with a smile.
Darlene Grant said she wanted, “to see how it’s (maple syrup production) done in the wild, and see the process of it.”
Daniel Fletcher of Round Lake Park and daughter Maura, 6, also attended.
“We wanted to get out here and hear about how they make maple syrup, kind of just like, what to look for in the trees, parts of the process, to have a better understanding of how they make maple syrup,” he said.
Maura said about the pure maple sampling served at Ryerson, “Oh, it tastes great.”
Free self-guided tours (with signage) run March 18-31. Visit https://www.lcfpd.org/calendar/self-guided-maple-syrup-trail20240318/?F_c=1