“This fall, the Vermont Sugarmakers Association, along with The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets ,and Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing are partnering to celebrate the maple industry, specialty products, and maple inspired activities all across the state in a campaign that will run starting September 18 through October 31. The Vermont Maple 100 is meant to be a fall celebration of all things maple in Vermont; it’s a chance for visitors and locals alike to discover hundreds of maple activities, adventures, and maple-inspired products across the state. The Maple 100 encourages consumers to explore a new and wonderfully unexpected side of maple.”

Audubon Vermont invites people to visit the Green Mountain Audubon Center in Huntington to visit our sugarbush trails and participate in an educational and fun Birds of the Sugarbush Scavenger Hunt during the Vermont Maple 100.

While maple syrup can look and taste the same, it can come from forests that are managed in dramatically different ways. Park-like maple monocultures may appeal to our tidy aesthetic and increase sap production over the short-term, but they support relatively low numbers of birds and bird species. In contrast, biologically and structurally diverse sugarbushes offer great places for birds to forage, find cover, and raise their young. They are also likely to have better long-term sap production, fewer forest health problems, and be better able to adapt to the stresses of climate change. 

To learn more about bird-friendly forest management practices, enjoy a walk through Audubon Vermont’s bird-friendly sugarbush and participate in our Birds of the Sugarbush Scavenger Hunt. You can pick up a scavenger hunt at our trailhead kiosk near our sugarhouse or print one from our website vt.audubon.org. Search for pictures of laminated birds throughout our sugarbush (some of them are not easy to find!) and learn what they need in a forest to successfully raise their young. Bring a pencil and a smile and try to unscramble the letters that you find near each bird to spell one our favorite words! Have fun and enjoy your visit to the Audubon Center.

Audubon's sugarbush trails are wide, mostly flat and easy walking for most ages. They are not however easily accessible for a wheelchair. Restrooms are availble at our office building on Sherman Hollow Road Monday-Thursday, 8am-12pm. Follow the link for driving directions to get to the Center.

Learn more about Audubon's Bird-Friendly Maple Project: https://vt.audubon.org/maple