Trees tapped at Tosanak for new syrup batch

By Travis Fischer, tkfischer@charlescitypress.com

It was perfect weather for tree tapping at Tosanak Recreation Area on Sunday, Feb. 23.

Taking advantage of the above-freezing temperatures, Floyd County Conservation invited people out for a class on how to tap trees and place buckets to collect sap.

“This is really neat,” said Brian Bilharz of Nashua. “I never knew this was back here.”

Bilharz helped put in about 20 taps across about a dozen trees, learning a new skill he plans to try out at his own home.

“You get hands on, so you know how to do it,” he said.

Sunday’s warm snap was well timed, providing ideal conditions for sap collection as above-freezing temperatures during the day followed by below-freezing temperatures at night encourages sap flowing.

“That weather starts the sap moving in the tree,” said Floyd County Conservation Naturalist Heidi Reams. “We already got some that are dripping.”

As the buckets fill, other programs will be scheduled to collect the liquid sap, which will ultimately be processed into this year’s batch of locally produced maple syrup.

Floyd County Conservation is taking reservations for its upcoming Maple Syrup Fest on March 8, where people can come out for a pancake breakfast and see how the syrup is made.