SALAMANCA — Earlier this month, Salamanca’s third-grade students bundled up and braved the cold for a hands-on learning experience that connects science, culture and tradition.
Christopher Jimerson of the Seneca Nation Conservation Department — fondly known as the “Lorax” — visited Prospect Elementary School to teach students the art and respect of tapping sugar maple trees.
Jimerson shared his knowledge of identifying sugar maple trees and demonstrated how to tap them properly and respectfully to collect sap. His visit helps kick off the school’s annual Maple Project, an exciting tradition allowing students to experience the full process of maple syrup production while learning about environmental stewardship and Indigenous knowledge.
Later this month, students at Seneca Intermediate will continue the project by participating in our annual maple boil. During this event, they will help transform the collected sap into maple syrup and maple candy, seeing firsthand how patience, science, and tradition come together.
School officials expressed thanks to Bundy for generously sharing his knowledge with the students year after year and helping keep this meaningful tradition alive. They also thank neighboring residents on Prospect Avenue for graciously allowing students to tap their sugar maple trees each year.
