Sugar Maple: The Leader of Trees

Like dogwoods and crabapples, maples hold strong significance to cultures around the world. The Haudenosaunee, Indigenous people of New York State, gather at the Maple Ceremony in late winter to show appreciation for the sugar maple’s gift of sap and approaching new life in spring. As the climate continues to warm, scientists predict that sugar maples will decline in their current range. This maple collection can provide the genetic material to develop more tolerant varieties to prevent the loss of sugar maples and the knowledge and traditions that come with it.

Learn more about the maples in this collection in this two-minute audio narrative.

From here you can return to where you started at the Newman Overlook by following the trail up this hill.