News from the Noteworthy from Delaware-Otsego Audubon Society

Sweetening the Season: Bird-friendly Maple Syrup

In our region, temperatures in the months of February and March typically warm up to the 30s or 40s in the daytime and then head back down to freezing during the overnight hours. This freeze/thaw cycle marks the start of the maple sugaring season—the time of year when the sap begins to flow again in our local sugar maples to prepare for the energy needed for budding and leaf out later in the spring. Our region’s local producers will soon be out tapping trees to collect the sap and then begin the process of boiling it down to make syrup or sugar products.

The Cooperstown area has a rich history of maple sugaring, going back to the days of Judge William Cooper, founder of the Village of Cooperstown. An avid proponent of business, Cooper worked diligently to provide avenues for trade routes to Albany, Philadelphia and Manhattan. One product Cooper promoted was maple syrup and maple sugar. Cooper looked at the production value per acre of land and determined that maple sugar production would be far more beneficial than standard crops. As part of his plan, he provided sugaring pots to anyone that would agree to use it for commercial production, with payment for the pot to come from the proceeds of product sales. The venture ultimately failed, as the product could not compete with lower prices for plantation-grown cane sugar, but the practice continues to this day.

Maple syrup production can play a vital role in bird conservation through sustainable forestry practices, by creating and maintaining healthy habitats and providing critical breeding and foraging grounds for many bird species. By implementing bird-friendly practices, forest owners can contribute to the conservation of declining bird populations. These practices include maintaining diversity within the forest, increasing structural complexity to provide forage and nesting opportunities, as well as promoting regeneration of native tree and plant species. A well-managed forest can also help to sequester carbon, protect our watershed and reduce the impacts of flooding.

The Bird-Friendly Maple project is a collaborative effort that integrates bird conservation with maple syrup production by promoting management practices that support birds, forest health, and sustainable sugaring practices and by recognizing a producer’s efforts for considering bird health in their forest operations. The program also helps to increase awareness about the role of our local forests in bird conservation and the natural benefits of maple syrup. A participating sugarbush must be part of a contiguous forest block of 200 acres or more. Recognition in the program is contingent on habitat assessment conducted by Audubon staff.

Habitat assessments will capture current conditions and provide management recommendations that limit disturbances to nesting birds. Participating producers will be able to promote their maple products with the use of a special “maple managed for birds” label as well as take advantage of opportunities for consumer marketing and sales through the Audubon network.

Producers in our region who are interested in participating in the program are encouraged to contact Susan O’Handley, education chair, Delaware-Otsego Audubon Society for an upcoming informational program and to be part of an exhibit at the 2025 Earth Festival event at Milford Central School on April 26. E-mail Susan at s.ohandley@doas.us.

For full details about the program, producers can visit the website at https://ny.audubon.org/conservation/bird-friendly-maple or contact Claire Mann, senior associate, Forest Program (NY) at claire.mann@audubon.org.

Susan O’Handley has been involved with local Audubon chapters for more than 30 years and serves on the Board of Directors for the Delaware-Otsego Audubon Society since 2012. Susan also works with the Audubon NY/CT Council Board, which is composed of 27 Audubon chapters in New York State and six chapters in Connecticut, as well as on the Advisory Board for Audubon NY/CT Regional Office as the chapter representative.