New unit need at Taconic Outdoor Education Center
Friends of Fahnestock and Hudson Highlands State Parks (FOFHH) has launched a fall fundraising campaign. The old maple syrup evaporator has been removed and a new, highly efficient, evaporator is needed in order to continue this environmental education program at Taconic Outdoor Education Center (TOEC).
For over 20 years, the wood-fired maple syrup evaporator has been the centerpiece of a successful maple sugar experiential education program linking students and families to the outdoor world. From the tapping of a maple tree in late winter to the sights, smells and sounds of the evaporator boiling the sap down to make sweet, pure, and delicious maple syrup, it is a process that connects everyone to the land and supports hands-on learning that can last a lifetime.
TOEC’s “Sap to Syrup” school and community programs attract over 2,000 visitors each year, including many school children from the five boroughs. Now in its 21st year, the Maple Sunday Festival scheduled for March 8, 2015, attracts over 600 visitors from across New York and New Jersey.
Donations are tax deductible and can be made directly through the Friends website or by mail to FOFHH, P.O. Box 194, Cold Spring, NY 10516. On Saturday, Oct. 25, a Fall Birdseed Sale will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the TOEC, 75 Mountain Laurel Lane, Cold Spring, to benefit the effort.
