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Maple Sugar Time Festival 2019 signup sheet

Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore’s 41st annual Maple Sugar Time (March 2, 3, 9 and 10) is right around the corner. We invite you to participate in this year's program. Maple Sugar Time is a celebration of the evolution of maple sugaring in Northwest Indiana and its effects on the land and people’s lives. Public tours are given along the Bailly-Chellberg trail leading up to the farmhouse, with various stops along the way (listed below). We hope you are excited to be a part of this wonderful historical and seasonal event.

The festival runs from 10am-4pm each day. Shifts start at 9:30am and end at 4:30pm with breaks in between. Please wear volunteer uniform and dress for the weather.

NOTE #1: Please read position description before signing up. Some positions (marked with *) required additional training beyond the volunteer orientation before the festival. Email parkconnection@gmail.com to inquire about these positions.

NOTE #2: There will be an in-depth training held on Feb 13th. It will be an all-day event detailing the history of maple sugaring and going over the new layout for this year. Additional training for this festival will be provided on February 20th and 22nd. Please sign up for one of these session below in addition to signing up for your positions.

NOTE #3: Shifts are from 9:30am-4:30pm. If you would like to have a shorter shift, please let us know at (219) 221-7098 or at parkconnection@gmail.com.

• Greeting the Public: Greet arriving visitors at parking lot entrance; hand out park information

• Tour Greeter/Organizer: Greet tour visitors, organize tour groups and tour times.

• Event Ambassador (Park Connection Office): Familiarity with volunteer program and previous volunteer experience with Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore required for this position. Greet visitors, provide information and gather contact info for potential volunteers, explain volunteer program through flyers and iPad; Junior Ranger signups.

• Pre-Contact Site Attendant: The first main stop of the tour. Maintain campfires and keep rocks hot for rock-boiling. Demonstrate rock-boiling by using tongs to place hot rocks in sap water. Ensure rocks are hot enough to create steam from sap. Use caution when handling fire and hot objects.

• Kettle Site: Also known as the pioneer site. Demonstrate the use of metal and how it advanced maple sugaring. Keep enough sap or water in kettles to keep them from burning or cracking. Transfer cooked sap from kettle to kettle when ready.

• Kids' Corner (aka Drill Post site): Good hands-on activity, show how to select a tree, spile location, how to drill the hole and hang the bucket. Include information about how the spile has evolved. Monitor groups as they perform the task. Inform children and adults about extremely sharp points on drill bits and proper use of hammer.

• *Sugar Shack: (Special training required. Please email parkconnection@gmail.com before signing up for this position.} Start and maintain fire in Evaporator. Keep sap or water level at safe height to avoid burning pans. Make syrup whenever possible.

• Modern Site: Explain how maple syrup is harvested and made through modern-day technology (plastic spiles, tubing, etc.). Potentially supervise the making of maple cream. Hand out maple syrup samples to visitors. Make sure trash is disposed of properly.

• Research Table: Be able to explain Dr. Rapp's ongoing research of sugar maples and climate change, how Indiana Dunes was added as a research site, and what the research process entails.

• *Interpret Kitchen Life: (Special training required. Please email parkconnection@gmail.com before signing up for this position.) Keep the kitchen alive interpreting and demonstrating how maple products could have been used by baking and cooking. Give periodic demonstrations of what you are doing. Answer questions. Maintain a neat appearance. Keep all modern items out of site.

• Logistics/Breaks: Roam the Maple Sugar Trail and offer brief breaks, snacks, or water to anyone who desires. Pick up litter along the trail. Be ready to help out park rangers and volunteers as needed.