Name of Interviewee: Katie Lynch
Year & Major: Real Estate Investment and Urban Economics
Hometown (optional): Cheshire, CT
Q: Can you tell me about the organization you’re involved in?
A: The Forestry and Wildlife Club is about trying to further students’ appreciation and knowledge about the forests and the wildlife that inhabit them through the different activities we hold. We do this by going on informational nature walks and hikes and holding meetings where we discuss the forests and wildlife. But the most unique – and main focus of our club is to produce maple syrup. We have over 100 trees tapped in the UConn forest and each spring we collect the sap from them and boil it down into syrup. Our club is entirely self-funded through the selling of our maple syrup.
Q: What is your position in the UConn Forestry and Wildlife Club & how long have you been involved?
A: I am currently the president of the club. I signed up for Forestry & Wildlife Club at the involvement fair my freshman year because one of my friends was in it and persuaded me to put my name down on their mailing list. I went to the first few meetings and enjoyed all of the activities that they held and what I learned. The club was so different from anything I had ever been involved with before, including my major, but I found it refreshing to go to the meetings and immerse myself in something so new and fun. I attended every event that I could and took a real interest in the club. I think that really showed through to everyone because by my junior year I was able to become president of the club.
Q: What kinds of activities does the club do?
A: In the springtime, our main activity is producing maple syrup, so many of our activities during that time will have to do with the learning and preparation of everything for boiling. In the beginning of the season (early January) we’ll go out and check all of the trees, put in the taps, tighten the lines, and chop wood (which we need to fuel the evaporator that boils the syrup). Then in February or March, we’ll start collecting the sap, boil it down, and bottle it up – there’s a lot of clean up that happens before and after that though. It takes a lot of effort but it’s so worth it. In the fall since we can’t make maple syrup, we go on nature walks and hikes through forests, identifying trees and wildlife we see, and then have camp fires with s’mores while we learn about forest survival methods. We also go apple picking and then use a wooden press to turn the apples into apple cider!
Q: What happens in the winter after the taps are placed?
A: After the taps are placed, there’s a wait time until it gets warm enough for the trees to start producing sap. So we’ll continue to hold regular meetings like we did in the fall and do other activities – like doing snow hikes or indoor special topics meetings. We’ll keep checking the weather and trees periodically until it gets warm enough where the sap starts flowing. Once that happens, then we dedicate pretty much all of our time to collecting and boiling the sap into syrup. Depending on the weather, it can be over 12 hours a week of boiling. When this happens we generally won’t have regular meetings and will dedicate our time to syrup production.
Q: Do you sell the cider or syrup you collect anywhere?
A: We sell the syrup from our sugar shack and at different agricultural events. We have also sold it through the NRE department, but many of our sales happen through word of mouth because we don’t have set hours we’ll be in the shack selling it. But if anyone is interested, then they can always email us and arrange sales that way.
Q: Any cool nature spots you recommend to students who want an outdoor adventure?
A: I feel like a lot of kids who go to UConn have no idea the number of trails that are close by to campus. The UConn Forest (1400 acres) and Fenton Tract (580 acres) behind Horsebarn Hill are the closest places to campus that you can go. They have miles of trails you can follow – including parts of the 34 mile long Nipmuck Trail. The area is also in great condition because it is maintained by the UConn Forest Crew and Natural Resources Department. There are so many online maps you download so it’s just a matter of putting your sneakers on and heading over there!
Q: Does the club hike outside of UConn?
A: Not too far away in Salisbury is Bear Mountain which is a pretty great place to hike if you’re looking for a challenge with a group as it’s the tallest peak in CT. However, we tend to do the more scenic hikes – like some parts of the Appalachian Trail in Kent, CT which are beautiful and not too steep so you can take in the scenery without getting out of breath. There’s also a waterfall that you can get pretty close to, and it’s especially beautiful in the fall. It’s a great part of the state to visit.
Q: What’s the strangest thing that’s happened during syrup collection?
A: Unexpected stuff always seems to happen when getting ready for a new season. Last year it was so warm in January that when we were trying to put the taps in the trees, sap was actually coming out as we were drilling the holes. We ended up having our first boil by the end of January which is very unusual. The sap was so watery at that time that after spending nearly all day boiling 70 gallons of sap, we got only a few pints of syrup. When you’re boiling, you’re spending many days of long hours together in a small sugar shack – it’s always a fun time though because we’ll pass the time sharing stories and bonding so you end up getting really close to everyone in the club.
Q: How do people get involved with the club?
A: We meet mostly on Thursdays at 7pm in Laurel Hall but we have other activities going on throughout the week to supplement the meetings since we meet so late at night and we want kids to be able to get involved even if they have a conflict during our meetings. Anyone can get involved by either emailing us or contacting us through UConntact.
All images courtesy of Katie Lynch