Descriptions and Roles for Maple Program

Maple Education is a program designed for 4th grade students that teaches about Maple Tree Ecology, how to tap trees and make syrup, and the role of Maple Syrup among several cultures in Wisconsin. The program runs from March 4 to April 3, with field trips every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Syrup-making happens every day that sap is flowing. Shifts vary depending on position, and positions are listed below:

Volunteer Positions for Field Trips:

Group Guides: Four to six guides are needed for each morning and afternoon session. Group guides lead a group of 10-15 students through the sugar bush while teaching maple tree identification, the process of photosynthesis, and how to tap a tree. Guides will also assist in group management and timekeeping as they lead their group to visit the interpretive stations.

Interpretive Station Leaders: Interpretive Station Leaders: Five interpreters are needed per morning and afternoon session. Each interpreter is responsible for providing a 5–7 minute presentation per group. No previous knowledge is necessary, and a script is provided for each position. Interpreter positions are listed below.

  • Ciiporoke (Ho-Chunk and Ojibwe Culture) Interpreter
  • Clay Pots/Hollow Log (Traditional Indigenous Sugaring Methods) Interpreter
  • Iron Kettles (Pioneers and Settlers) Interpreter
  • Cook shack/ Evaporator Interpreter
  • Finishing House Interpreter

Volunteer Positions for Maple Syrup Making:

Sap collectors: (number needed varies) Help collect sap from full buckets in the sugarbush. The days and times for this volunteer position varies. This position does not involve working with students.

Sap cookers: (number needed varies) Help cook the sap at the evaporator tray station in the Wallen Sugarhouse. Potential shifts: 5am-8am; 8am-12pm; 12pm-4pm, all days of the week.

Syrup finishers: (number needed varies) Help finish cooking the syrup in the finishing house and jar the syrup using sanitary canning processes. Potential shifts: 2-6pm or 3-7pm, all days of the week.

For April 5th:

Maple Festival Volunteers: Help volunteer at the Maple Syrup Festival on Saturday, April 5. Volunteers are needed to assist with maple tours, talk during horse-drawn wagon rides, sell concessions, provide traffic control and more.

To register for the volunteer training on Tuesday, Feb. 18, please contact MacKenzie staff by calling the education office (608) 635-8112 or cell (608) 588-4056 or by emailing our educators:
Rachel Padour: Rachel.padour@wisconsin.gov
Joseph Montaine: Joseph.montaine@wisconsin.gov

*If you are not able to come in for an education program shift, please call the education cell phone at (608) 588-4056. If you are not able to come for sap collecting, cooking, or finishing, please contact the coordinator.