There will be a Maple Sugaring field trip for BIPoC students grades 7-12. Great River School would like to offer this opportunity first to our BIPoC students. We will be taking 15 students out to the woods surrounding Lake Independence to take part in a maple sugaring camp. This is a “sugarbush” camp that began in 1976 and is still active today.

Needs:

Outdoor winter clothes and boots for snow.

Pack a lunch and a snack

Water Bottle

Positive Attitude

When: Wednesday March 29th Depart GRS at 9:00am and return at 3:00pm

Who: 15 BIPoC identifying students, LA Guides Scott and Lisa plus additional guide supports.

Where: Porky’s Sugarbush-Porky's Sugarbush, 2864 Independence Rd, Maple Plain, MN 55359

Why: A great way to connect with the outdoors and learn about an age-old tradition of collecting maple sap from maple trees and evaporating off the excess water to make maple syrup and maple candies.

What: Learn about the process of tapping maple trees and collecting sap, hands on work help out setting up tree taps and collecting sap, boiling it down and enjoying the time by a campfire and being in the woods while building community.

Background info:

Porky’s Sugarbush

Sugar bush refers to a forest stand of maple trees which is utilized for maple syrup. This was originally an Indigenous camp set up for several weeks each spring, beginning when the ice began to melt and ending when the tree buds begin to open.

Walter “Porky” White began this sugar camp back in 1976 out near Maple Plain, MN. He is remembered by carrying on this tradition by making maple syrup and maple candy. Porky taught language, culture, instituted his sugar bush, as well as rice, fish, and berry camps to teach the traditional life of the Anishinabe people.