Course prepares students to boil down maple sugaring process for community

PETERSBURG, Pa. — Wearing a bonnet and historic period dress at Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center, Penn State student Irena Potochny stayed steadily in-character as a maple syrup–making pioneer while engaging with the curious minds of community members during the annual Maple Harvest Festival on March 21-22.

As she shared the old tools and techniques of the trade, she said, the smiles on the faces of those who stopped by her station were just as sweet to her as the syrup she was teaching about. After all, Potochny can relate to their curiosity — when she was younger, she found a spile (a small tool used to collect maple sap) as she was browsing through her grandparents’ drawer.

“I was like ‘Woah, what is this?’ And then my grandfather explained it to me. That really made me interested in being a part of this experience. It is rewarding to be able to share that with others,” Potochny said. “My grandmother is coming later, so I will get the chance to teach her again, too.”

Potochny is one of 21 students who signed up for a Penn State Agriculture and Extension Education class on “Interpreting Maple Sugaring to Families,” which prepared them to be interpreters during the festival.

The Maple Harvest Festival is a spring tradition that has been connecting the Penn State and local communities to nature with experiences like this for more than 40 years.

This year, during the two-day festival the center served more than 8,700 pancakes and 3,600 sausage patties with over 20 gallons of syrup to a total of 2,017 visitors, volunteers and staff.

For Potochny, the positive experience began the moment she stepped into the classroom with her peers, she said.

“This experience started on the first day of class. All the preparations leading up to this felt like it was part of this whole experience,” she said. “I think all of the bonding with other students in other majors really helped make this such a great experience.”

The unique course, developed and led by instructor Laurie McLaughlin, is an example of the many experiential learning opportunities offered at Shaver’s Creek.

“In the course, students get a hands-on education in making maple syrup while building connections with the environment, the land and agriculture — as well as with interns, staff, community members and other volunteers,” McLaughlin said.

During the festival, the students put those lessons into practice. They teach visitors about the history and evolution of maple sugaring, explain how to identify maple trees and collect sap and, in the Shaver’s Creek Sugar Shack, demonstrate how sap is boiled down into syrup.

“They learn to tell the story of where our food comes from and how we as a community connect to our place in the ecosystem,” McLaughlin said.

At the collection station, senior Andrew Matz demonstrated how sap is carefully collected from sugar maple trees. The broadcast journalism major said he was able to hone his storytelling skills to reach a new audience.

“Out here, Laurie said we are telling the story of maple sugaring. As a journalism student, when you think about it, storytelling is the most important thing you can do as a journalist. So, I was able to use the skill I learned in class to connect with kids and families,” said Matz, who will be graduating this spring. He said the experience has enriched his Penn State journey.

“The opportunities that Penn State has given me have been outstanding. The fact that I can take this class, learn this fun process and meet new people is so great,” Matz said. “Just to have a resource like Shaver’s Creek that can be used for classes, connecting to nature and so much more, it is part of what makes Penn State special.”

Junior Catie Ewing, a recreation, park and tourism management student who participated in the Shaver’s Creek SEED Semester, also worked at the collection station. Her career goal is to become an environmental interpreter, and her work with Shaver’s Creek has given her hands-on experience in the field, she said.

“This is kind of like a boots-on-the-ground experience for me,” Ewing said. “Maple Harvest Festival is very similar to running programs at a state park, as a ranger. So, this has been a great way to learn some new techniques and apply what I am learning in my other SEED classes. It is really an amazing experience.”

Every year, the festival brings back many students and interns who were a part of Shaver’s Creek history. McLaughlin said that this year, the reunion was extra-special as the center celebrates its 50th anniversary.

“Shaver’s Creek has always been a place for students to learn and grow. Maple Harvest Festival brings back many of those former students and interns to volunteer, reconnect and reminisce,” McLaughlin said. “Those connections showcase the impact that Shaver’s Creek has made over the years. Now, these 21 students are a part of that history. It will be interesting to see where their journeys take them.”