I enjoyed going on the Arboretum tour, I only hope I get a chance to do it in the spring too! I chose to go back to the Sugar Maple in front of Mantor Library. I picked this tree because it reminds me of my childhood. Not only do I have maple trees surrounding my house, but I also used to tap trees and collect the sap with one of my dad's friends when I was young. A large maple tree, like the one in front of the library, can produce up to 40 gallons of sap per season (The UMF Arboretum, 14). I used to love collecting the syrup all season and watching it get boiled down then getting to use it on my pancakes the next day.When I look at the tree through the one inch window, I focus on hole that has been tapped into it. The trees around my house all have those same little holes that looks as if it has tried to heal, but just could not close. It reminds me of that time every year when we had to go around and take out all the taps for the season. The ability the maple trees has to look so strong and withstand so much on the outside, yet produce something so sweet and delicious is so amazing to me. I cannot wait for spring and summer to get here so that maple tree can be a source of coolness and shade for our campus.
Lauren I liked how you talked about you childhood in the write up about the tree. I’ve never been maple tapping and it sounds rewarding to have it on you pancakes after putting the work into making it and the whole process with it. I thought that your idea of the one-inch window was cleaver. It connects with the maple part and it also makes the Sugar Maple unique. I’ve never really looked up close with a maple tree to see the tapping marks in them. Also it was a good connection with you home and all the tapped maples around it reminding you of home.
ReplyDeleteLauren, I love the fact that you added in a personal story to your tree. I also remember the days when I would go out with my step-father to tap the trees. Ah, sweet memories of home-made maple syrup...
ReplyDelete