GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- The amount of sap gathered to make maple syrup is up this year thanks to more seasonable temperatures compared to 2017.
The Blandford Nature Center in Grand Rapids says they've tapped 115 trees this year, which is actually 40 fewer than last year. But the sap has been running more consistently thanks to the cold nights and mild afternoons.
"And what that means is last year it warmed up about this time -- early March -- and stayed warm," said Renee Baker, Community Programs Manager at Blandford Nature Center. "Where this year there's been a good amount of -- about two weeks of -- steady 40 degrees during the daytime and below freezing at night time... Which is the quality temperatures that we need to get the sap flowing out of the trees."
Loretta Klimaszewski, a Maple Syrup Artisan in her downtown Grand Rapids neighborhood agrees.
"I started tapping these trees oh, in early February, and I've been getting sap all month. And it could go well into April," she said.
If you'd like to learn how to make maple syrup, Blandford Nature Center has programs every Saturday for the next three weeks. This Saturday's at 2 p.m. is their Sugar Bush Tour. If you'd like to attend, you can pre-register here.
