From Gardens to Syrup: Warren County Group Expands Conservation Efforts

By Jennifer Correa-Kruegel, Warren County Naturalist

March 19, 2025

children outside practicing drilling into tree stump for sap — Under careful guidance, a child drills into a maple tree, an essential step in the traditional sugaring process. Photo by Olga Brazaitis.

Last year, three 2024 Rutgers Environmental Stewards sought a way to make the public garden projects they had worked on for their class sustainable. The answer was the Warren County Pollinator Protectors, a small group of volunteers who helped tend to each other’s gardens once a month, making them more native, diverse and successful.

The group grew to more than 16 individuals, assisting with gardening projects throughout the county.

Warren County Pollinator Protectors Tap Into New Educational Project

Slowly boiling sap down into syrup. Photo by Olga Brazaitis.

In October of last year, members noticed maple trees at one of the sites, Ramsaysburg Homestead, and a winter project was sowed.

“We had been meeting regularly and we wanted to keep the momentum going,” said Michelle St. Andre, chair of the Warren County Pollinator Protectors and 2024 Rutgers Environmental Steward.

Thanks to a donation of maple sugaring equipment, the group was able to collect nearly 100 gallons of sap over three weeks and boil it down to make syrup.

woman tapping maple tree — Tapping a maple tree—carefully drilling and inserting spiles to collect the flowing sap. Photo by Olga Brazaitis.

On Feb. 24, the WCPP tapped five trees for the first time and began visiting the site multiple times a day to collect the sap. Some sap was boiled down on-site, while other members took gallon jugs home to complete the process.

Tony Cataliotti and Sherry Weitz offered their assistance and expertise in maple sugaring. “Just remember, we are all friends here and we want to remain friends after this is done,” joked Cataliotti, foreshadowing the long and arduous process of boiling down the sap that would test their bond.

Since sap is mostly water, it must be boiled for many hours to create syrup. Sugar maple trees have the highest sugar-to-water content, meaning it takes about 40 gallons of sap to make one gallon of syrup.

Kindergartners Learn History, Science, and a Taste of Syrup

To keep efforts manageable, WCPP hosted a maple sugaring program for a local school. Their inaugural group of kindergartners from Knowlton Elementary School visited on March 13 and participated in an educational program, combining science and historical aspects of the maple sugaring process.

children with arms outstretched — Photo by Olga Brazaitis.

Students learned how to identify a maple tree by its leaves and branches, how much sap is needed to make one gallon of syrup (40 gallons!), which animals enjoy sap (yellow bellied sapsuckers and insects!), how Native Americans boiled down sap and how WCPP drilled and boiled it down. “The hands-on aspect is so important for these kids to experience and gain a full appreciation of the process,” said Claire Arcaro, 2024 Rutgers Environmental Steward.

kids surrounded by woman with jug of sap and multiple jugs in foreground — Excited hands-on learners. Photo by Olga Brazaitis.

Finally, the students tasted the finished product, collected and boiled down by kindergarten teacher, Allison Bickhardt. Pancakes, made using flour donated by Marksboro Mills in Frelinghuysen, were expertly prepared by “Cowboy” Rick Clarkson with assistance from Monica Sobon.

“I showed some pictures to our superintendent. Her comment was, ‘Maybe next year we can send more classes!’” said Bickhardt. “What do you say? Do we have another year in us?”

The answer is a resounding, YES!

6 members of WCPP — Members of the Pollinator Project gather to support local biodiversity, working to create habitats that help bees, butterflies, and other essential pollinators thrive. Photo by Olga Brazaitis.

For more information on the Warren County Pollinator Protectors and their ongoing projects please visit: https://www.wcnj-pollinatorprotectors.com.

Jennifer Correa-Kruegel, Warren County Naturalist

Jennifer has a Masters in Parks and Resource Management from Slippery Rock University. She worked as a Park Naturalist for Hunterdon County Park System from 2003-2006 and then at the NJSOC full-time from 2006 - 2020, starting as the Program Coordinator and evolving to an Environmental Educator. Jen is a New Jersey native and has lived in Warren County with her family since 2004. She is excited to be offering programs to this community she has grown to love.