1. A Maple Syrup Boil-Down in the “Quaker Community Forest” April 2, 2011 Dunn County, Wisconsin

2. The Site Located in the western hills of Wisconsin, the “Quaker Community Forest” is home to a variety of flora and fauna, including Sugar Maples!

3. Tapping the Trees Springtime arrives! Time to tap the Maple Trees for their sweet sap. First, Ralph runs a plastic tube from the tank to the tree…

4. Tapping the Trees Then he drills a hole into the tree…

5. Tapping theTrees …And then removes sawdust so that it will not clog the line.

6. Tapping the Trees Finally, he inserts the tap.

7. From Tree to Tank If the line is too short it must be spliced to a longer line

8. From Tree to Tank Splicing and connecting…

9. Into the Tank Once all the connections are made, the sap flows through the tubing into a collecting tank

10. Boiling the Sap Sap is poured from the tank into pans that sit above a roaring wood fire

11. Boiling the Sap Moving the sap from pan to pan helps concentrate it. Foam is skillfully skimmed off the top to keep the syrup clearer.

12. Cooling the Syrup After ladling the hot syrup into a Mason jar, snow is a great cooler.

13. The Crew Maple Syrup Aficionados

14. Thanks Thanks to Cynthia and Ralph for sharing the process! Text & Photos: M.Moga 4/2/2011