New project will see Guelph residents tap backyard maple trees in exchange for syrup
Transition Guelph is holding a pancake breakfast so homeowners can learn more
A new initiative in Guelph is hoping to get local residents to tap their maple trees in return for some syrup.
Transition Guelph is a group interested in teaching people about using local resources, the project's coordinator John Dennis told host Craig Norris on The Morning Edition Thursday.
"One of the unused resources we saw were all these wonderful maple trees," he said.
For $10, the group will provide a kit to homeowners with a tap, metal bucket, a plastic food-grade bucket and instructions that will be used to transport the sap back to the group.
'Almost an ideal time now'
Dennis said those taking part will get an email or phone call when the weather is just right in Guelph to tap trees, and then everyone will collect their sap over the same period of about a week, then return the sap to high school student volunteers, who will boil it down into the sugary syrup.
"We're almost at an ideal time now," Dennis said.
The group is hoping to get 40 or 50 people involved, and some of those are expected to have more than one tree to tap.
How much maple syrup participants will get will depend on how much sap is collected.
Those interested in taking part can attend a pancake breakfast on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at St. James the Apostle Church to learn more.