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Sure Signs of Spring
Two sure signs of spring here today. The first came when I got out of my car this morning and started across the parking lot towards the barn. Birds were chirping away when I heard something that made me smile….
BIRDIE-BIRDIE-BIRDIE, BIRDIE-BIRDIE-BIRDIE
Years ago, I remember my dad telling me that cardinals had two different songs – one for winter and one for summer. The winter one was just a hard, sharp CHIRP that was repeated and repeated and repeated. It always kind of reminded me of someone poking me in the arm reminding me it’s winter. But when spring came, the cardinal’s call turned to something that, to us, sounded like he was calling out “birdie-birdie-birdie, birdie-birdie-birdie”. I don’t always notice right away when the call changes from summer to winter but my ears definitely perk up when I hear that first triple “birdie” call. I know spring is here.
The second sign – I have finished putting the summer camp schedule up on the website! Haven’t got all the individual dates up on the calendar yet but everything is listed on the camp page under the ACTIVITIES header (or just click here) and registrations are open! Pretty soon they’ll be filling the pools!
Don’t forget to get your Maple Syrup Festival tickets! It’s just a few days away now!!
Sap Savers
Our new naturalist, Jenny Rupp was part of the crew that tapped our first maple trees of the season this past Saturday. She is anxious for her first syruping season!
What a marvelous winter it has been for those of us who enjoy being outdoors! Winter is sneaky sometimes, and waits for the most inopportune time to bring on the cold weather! If you found yourselves out and about on Saturday morning, you may have noticed a severe drop in temperature from the day before. At the Indian Creek Nature Center, we can’t wait to start preparing for spring and the Annual Maple Syrup Festival!
Bags fill with sap to be boiled into maple syrup at the Nature Center
Saturday, volunteers from the community and staff from the nature center could be seen making their way down Wood Duck Lane carrying drills and hammers. Not even a negative wind-chill could stop us from taking the first steps toward delicious maple syrup! Now is the time to start collecting the sweet sap that is just beginning to slip through the trunks of the trees! It only took an hour for our great group of volunteers to make a dent in the sugar bush. Some of the trees had even started dripping before we left the area! Here’s hoping for a great sap season!
If you happen to have access to silver maple trees and are interested in tapping them this spring, come down and get some spiles (the metal spouts that help gravity pull the sap out of the tree) and more information from the friendly staff at our center.
~Jenny Rupp
Maple Syrup Saturday!
(As last year, the photographs in this Saturday post are brought to you by Tori Wood, 10-year-old professional Syrup Fest photographer to the stars.)
Did you make it to the Nature Center today for the first day of our Maple Syrup Festival? We had a record crowd come to enjoy the sunny, almost-spring Saturday. People of all ages, including the happy family above, ate breakfast to the tunes of some of Cedar Rapids’ most philanthropic (and fun!) musical acts, like the Rock Hounds, pictured below.
If you missed Saturday’s event, don’t worry! The Maple Syrup Festival continues this Sunday, March 7th from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm, rain or shine! For directions and other info, check out our website!
Maple Syrup Festival this weekend!
Spring has sprung at the Nature Center, where staff and volunteers have been so busy that we’re starting to dream about tapping maples. It must be festival time!
Join us this weekend, March 6th and 7th from 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM both days! We’ve got the live music lined up, the syrup is ready to be poured and we’re hoping that Cedar Rapids is hungry for pancakes!
Want to know more about Cedar Rapids syrup? This Gazette article is excellent. (Please note: the times on the syrup festival are 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM. The article lists the event incorrectly, though I know that I could eat pancakes any time of day. Also, the photo in this post of our lovely Mary Taylor comes from the Gazette article and is their property.)
Quick update: Maple Syrup Festival!
Just a quick post to let everyone know that the 2010 Maple Syrup Festival is rapidly approaching!
Join us on Saturday, March 6th and Sunday, March 7th from 8:30 AM – 12:30 PM for our annual Maple Syrup Festival. Enjoy a delicious pancake and sausage breakfast (with our own maple syrup), live music and syruping demonstrations!
More to come soon, but for pricing etc, visit our calendar of events!
