Local youngsters to tap sugar bush, enjoy sticky-sweet syrup at Merry Lea

WOLF LAKE, Ind. – Some 1,400 elementary students from 29 area schools and home school groups along with their parents and teachers will find environmental learning to be sugary-sweet at Sugar Bush 2008, sponsored by the Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center of Goshen College. This day-long, hands-on experience in maple syrup making takes place at the Yoder Sugar Bush near Huntertown, Ind.

During their visit students participate in demonstrations that provide information about the history of syrup making, tree tapping, methods for collecting sap, woodcraft, the effects of weather on sap flow, and the process of boiling the sap into finished syrup. Most of the teaching stations feature hands-on experience in small groups. The program ends with a lunch of pancakes and sausage smothered in freshly made maple syrup.

Each year about 20 adult volunteers, mainly from the Fort Wayne area, assist with teaching, operating the sugar bush, and instructional support. Accompanying parents help to prepare the noon meal.

The 350-tap sugar bush, part of the Yoder family for four generations, produces about 80 gallons of syrup annually.

The 2008 schedule includes the following schools (with contact information):

• Feb. 21 – Fairfield Elementary, Fort Wayne, Drew Davis, 260-467-5900

• Feb. 21 – Blackhawk Christian Schools, Fort Wayne, Sue Edington, 260-493-7400

• Feb. 22 – Riverdale Elementary, St. Joe, Linda Madden, 260-337-5464

• Feb. 23 – Scouts: Brownies & Juniors, Indianapolis, Barb Heeg, 317-402-1196

• Feb. 25 – Suburban Bethlehem Lutheran School, Fort Wayne, Peggy Zilz, 260-483-9371

• Feb. 25 – Holy Cross Lutheran School, Fort Wayne, Michelle Koehlinger, 260-483-3173

• Feb. 26 – St. Joseph/St. Elizabeth Ann Seton School, Fort Wayne, Julie Christian, 260-432-4001

• Feb. 27 – Fairfield Elementary, Fort Wayne, DaNene Neff, 260-467-5900

• Feb. 27 – Blackhawk Christian Schools, Fort Wayne, Mary Martin, 260-493-7400

• Feb. 28 – Huntertown Elementary, Huntertown, Malea Kruse, 260-637-3181

• Feb. 28 – Precious Blood School, Fort Wayne, Pam Marx, 260-424-4832

• Feb. 29 – Huntertown Elementary, Huntertown, Malea Kruse, 260-637-3181

• March 3 – Haley Elementary, Fort Wayne, Mary Swearingen, 260-467-4510

• March 4 & 5 – Leo Elementary, Leo, Dorcas Curry, 260-446-0170

• March 6 – Central Lutheran Elementary, New Haven, Sandi Herman, 260-493-2502

• March 6 – Central Christian School, Fort Wayne, Cheryl Pulver, 260-493-0193

• March 7 – Concordia Lutheran School, Fort Wayne, Judy Hart, 260-426-9922

• March 10 – Emmanuel-St. Michael Lutheran School, Fort Wayne, Mary Daenzer, 260-422-6712

• March 11 – Lincoln Elementary, Fort Wayne, Nancy Caywood, 260-425-7401

• March 12 – St. Joseph’s Catholic School, Decatur, Michelle Miller, 260-724-2765

• March 12 – Lincoln Elementary, Fort Wayne, Nancy Caywood, 260-425-7401

• March 14 – Waterloo Elementary, Waterloo, Lana Young, 260-920-1016

• March 17 – Pine Hills Kiddie Garden, Fort Wayne, Michelle Mettert, 260-637-3197

• March 17 – St. Peter’s Lutheran School, Fort Wayne, John Westrem, 260-749-5811

• March 18 – Canterbury Elementary, Fort Wayne, Stacia Czartoski, 260-432-7776

• March 19-20 – Holland Elementary, Fort Wayne, Joanne Montgomery, 260-425-7364

• March 24 – Home school: Eager Explorers, Leo, Bonnie Neuhouser, 260-627-8409

• March 25 – Cedar Canyon Elementary, Fort Wayne, Ann Serrani, 260-637-6101

Complete information about the program is available at www.goshen.edu/merrylea/sugar/MAPLE.HTM. For more information, contact Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center at (260) 799-5869.

Merry Lea, 300 S. 500 W. in Noble County south of Wolf Lake, is a natural sanctuary for northern Indiana’s plants and animals, provides environmental education for people of all ages and a setting to recreate opportunities that benefit the human body and spirit without exploiting the land. Merry Lea, created with the assistance of the Nature Conservancy and the generosity of Lee A. and Mary Jane Rieth, is owned and operated by Goshen College. For more information, log on to www.goshen.edu/merryleaor call (260) 799-5869.

Editors: For more information, contact Larry Yoder at (260) 799-5869.

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Note to editors: This program affords a rich opportunity for photographs and interviews. Because of differences in school policy, it is important that you contact, in advance, the teacher and principal of any school you wish to cover in order to arrange for permission to accompany the group and photograph the activities.