Maple Syrup: An Introduction to the Science of a Forest Treasure

Written for a broad audience, Maple Syrup is an accessible, enlightening, and enjoyable exploration of the what, where, why, and how of a treasured natural resource. A book for the curious, readers learn how and why trees - particularly sugar maples - produce and deliver the sweet sap from which maple syrup is made. Traveling with the reader through a maple season, the author describes traditional and modern operations, and the chemistry and physics involved in converting sap to syrup. From "Puttin' up Wood" to "Managing Forests for Sap," author Mike Rechlin blends science with an obvious enjoyment of the pure fun of working in the woods and boiling sap. Whether you're an experienced syrup maker, a backyard hobbyist, a teacher, an inquisitive naturalist, or simply somebody who likes maple syrup, you'll learn something new and intriguing from reading this book. Mike Rechlin is a forestry and ecology educator with resource management degrees from Paul Smith's College (AAS), the University of Michigan (BS, MS), and SUNY-College of Environmental Science and Forestry (PhD). He taught his first class in sugaring while a graduate student at the University of Michigan. Later, he served on the faculty and as department head at Paul Smith's College in New York and at Principia College in Illinois, where he taught courses in sugaring and helped manage the college's sugar bush operations. Today, Mike and his wife, Nancy, make West Virginia their home base and spend summers in the Adirondacks. Mike also works internationally in the field of community forestry.