Sapwood is an OFFICIAL bird-friendly maple producer!
The Bird-Friendly Maple Project is a collaborative effort to integrate bird conservation with New York’s maple syrup industry.
What is a bird-friendly sugarbush?
While many maple products may look and taste the same, the forests they come from can be managed in different ways.
Through applied forest management, bird-friendly maple producers strive to improve habitat quality in their sugarbushes to optimize breeding and forage opportunities for forest birds in decline (nesting songbirds, including Scarlet Tanagers, Wood Thrushes, Black-throated Blue Warblers, and Veeries).
A bird-friendly sugarbush is managed for the following features to not only provide great habitat for forest birds, but also improve the health of the sugarbush:
- A diversity of tree species and age classes; more than just mature sugar maple.
- Complex structural diversity: layers of vegetation; from small seedlings on the forest floor, to saplings and shrubs, to the canopy overhead.
- Standing dead trees and live trees with cavities; the bigger the better.
- Large logs and branches on the forest floor.
Look for the label!
To recognize and support participating maple producers for their good work, look for maple syrup containers with the label indicating that the syrup is Maple Managed for Birds.
Maple producers who intentionally integrate bird habitat into the stewardship of their forest are taking the first step toward ensuring important habitat features are created during sugarbush management activities.
Can you dig it?
Check out the Audubon’s website to listen to the songbirds sing –
https://ny.audubon.org/conservation/bird-friendly-maple
What’s good, Syrup?
Maple syrup isn’t just for breakfast. Indulge your sweet tooth, it’s good for you, too.
There is no authentic substitute for pure maple syrup. The flavor is complex and quite delectable. Maple syrup adapts to various uses like marinades, dressings, savory dishes, baking and cocktails. Add a spoonful to your morning coffee. Simply drizzle some on your favorite yogurt or vanilla ice cream.
That’s cool. But did you know maple syrup contains 54 beneficial compounds? Pure maple syrup contains valuable nutrients such as calcium, potassium, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, and iron and B vitamins, among others. And it’s a good substitute for white sugar.
