The 2019 maple sugaring season got off to a slow start for many producers in Vermont, but things are now in high gear! How this year's production will sugar off is hard to say (ask me in June!) but one thing is for sure - four to eight weeks from now migratory songbirds will be back in the sugarbush looking for suitable nesting habitat.

Chances are good that many species, like Black-throated Blue Warbler and Wood Thrush, will find what they're looking for thanks to the efforts of maple producers enrolled in the Bird-Friendly Maple Project.

There are currently 37 sugarmakers throughout the state who have agreed to steward their forests in ways that integrate bird habitat with sap production. This equates to over 7,000 sugarbush acres that are sweet for songbirds.

To check in on the latest on this rapidly expanding Audubon Vermont conservation program check out this recent segment on WCAX, Channel 3.

The Bird-Friendly Maple Project has been all over the News this week:

• We would like to thank the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department for issuing a press release encouraging sugarmakers to employ bird-friendly forestry practices. 
• Our Bird-Friendly Maple Project was featured in a recent article in Civil Eats, a news source for critical thought about the American food system: Could Maple Syrup Be a Climate Change Solution? It's a great read.
• All About Birds highlighted the Bird-Friendly Maple Project in their online feature 7 Bird-Friendly Foods To Put In Your Pantry and their Living Bird Magazine explored the project in more depth in their spring issue. Turning Maple Syrup Forests Into Bird-Friendly Habitat
• VPR's Nina Keck also recently reached out for an interview about the project. Keep your ears on the radio!