Page 4 | News
Wednesday, April 5, 2023
Touch of Nature presents annual Maple Syrup Festival Mo Collar | @m0.alexander
When you think of maple syrup tapping, what’s the first place that comes to mind? Most likely Canada or the northeastern states like Maine, New Hampshire, or Vermont. Southern Illinois definitely isn’t on top of that list, but the abundance of woods located in this area has a surprising amount of trees that make maple syrup tapping easily accessible. So much so that maple syrup has become a staple of southern Illinois due to how much this little area is able to produce a large amount of high quality syrup. Carbondale’s Touch of Nature has been collecting maple syrup for more than 30 years now, but the annual maple syrup festivals officially began 12 years ago, back in 2011, to bring the community together through this local environmental center. Unofficially however, it has been going on for over 20 years bringing together a few families who ate breakfast and spent time Honey and animal hide vendor blows a conch shell horn at the Maple Syrup Festival at Touch of Nature March. 25, 2023 in Makanda, Ill. Mo Collar | @m0.alexander outside for the day. “We really, over the past 10 years, especially tried to make supplies produced in Carbondale from the Beatles, Creedence animals available for anyone to it a family friendly kind of day such as organic milk, honey, baked Clearwater Revival, Fleetwood enjoy. The ranch has been up and where you just come to Touch of sweets and even mushrooms. The Mac and many others were heard running for 12 years, the work Nature for the day,” said Touch of mushroom vendor sells varying throughout the day. Biver has of mother-daughter duo Judy Nature director Brian Croft. “Yes, types, some of which can be used for begun to make a name for himself, Hoepker and Morgan Stevenson. you can have the maple syrup, seasoning and in different dishes to not just in southern Illinois but Their popularity grew within the breakfast; but then there’s add flavor and others for medicinal in a few surrounding states such the community a few years ago vendors, there’s music, there’s properties to quell a sore throat or as Kentucky and Tennessee by when they were shown on the stuff for kids, and we’re all about just getting people outside.” He started his connection with Touch of Nature 20 years ago as a student worker and began working full time soon after. “I love it here, and when I became the director, I told everybody this is my dream job… and I know it sounds corny, but it’s legitimate,” Croft said. “I think my absolute favorite part of the event is the fact that this is sort of our season kickoff, like reemerging from our winter hibernation… I get to see these moms and dads and kids just coming out and having that first outdoor experience of the year.” Touch of Nature’s maple syrup festival has been continuously growing among the community over the past ten years and Mushroom vendor and attendees converse across a table at the Maple Syrup Festival at Touch of Nature March. 25, 2023 in Makanda, Ill. Mo Collar | @m0.alexander resonating with the locals. During the morning hours, Touch of Nature cooks up naturally produce melatonin to performing at small venues to local news and had to take an hundreds of pancakes with its aid in sleep. Of course, souvenirs slowly add to his reputation. elevator up to reach the studio signature local maple syrup for and merchandise were similarly for A new fan favorite of the for filming when they got stuck the attendees, staff, and volunteers sale for those whose interest lies festival has been the three alpacas with the alpacas inside! Of alike to enjoy before they venture outside of mushroom growing and from Rolling Oak Alpaca Ranch course, the fire department had out into the rest of the grounds of production. located in Makanda, Illinois. to be called out to help and the festival to enjoy the live music, Live music always accompanies This is their second year at the when the fire department got nature trails, demonstrations and any Touch of Nature event. Local maple syrup festival. The three the call, rescuers thought it was local vendors producing a vast guitarist and singer Isaac Biver alpacas are trained for public fake because of how wild the array of different items. played a variety of folk tunes that events and showcases for the story must have been, says Judy These local vendors fill the attracted a large audience fairly public to feed and enjoy as well. Hoepker. After all, three alpacas grounds selling everything from quickly the more the strings of the The ranch also sells merchandise stuck in an elevator does sound gemstones and crystals to local art guitar were strummed and heard crafted from alpaca wool from pretty unbelievable. for the general public to purchase throughout the grounds. Songs of the shearing seasons. There were “It’s been a lot of fun to do this, and enjoy. Others bring out local his own creation as well as classics bracelets, clothes, and stuffed we’ve brought the alpacas with us
both years and everybody gets a kick out of them,” Hoepker said. Out of all the vendors located on the ground’s of Touch of Nature, the alpacas were definitely visited the most. SIU’s own Forestry Club also made an appearance, producing different lumber activity demonstrations. The first up was the wood splitting activity where different members of the club would try to split large chunks of wood with an ax. Second was the dual-handed saw demonstration being performed on a tree-sized log of lumber, being split in half to create large plate-like wooden pieces. Next was the log throwing face-off between most of the Forestry Club, where one team had to throw enough logs within the boundary points. Saving the best for last, the club members presented an ax throwing demonstration where they had to land the ax in a wooden target, needless to say the crowd was hyped when the blade hit the target. All in all, it’s harder than it looks! Touch of Nature has always been known to use the natural resources available to allow the general public to have fun outside while still maintaining its educational roots to help others really get to know the environment around them. The Maple Syrup festival is just one of the many events it hosts to bring the community together through a balanced combination of learning and entertainment. Staff reporter and photographer Mo Collar can be reached at mcollar@dailyegyptian.com or on Instagram @m0.alexander.