Sugarbush Festival - Blandford Nature Center

Horse Trainer - Offering Draft Horse Rides

The Sugarbush Festival at Blandford Nature Center is one of West Michigan's most cherished late Winter celebrations which welcomes the arrival of Spring and the beginning the new year's flow of sweet, delicious maple syrup!

Although the ground was damp and the skies were a bit gray, the smiles were bright and cheerful. Draft horses, maple cotton candy, wild animal encounters, sugar shack operations, nature walks, blacksmith demonstrations, and live music were just some of the activities happening in and around the brand new Mary Jane Dockeray Visitor Center. 

Many volunteers were on-hand to give live demonstrations and describe the process of collecting maple sap directly from the trees and turning that thin liquid into a treasured syrup using a simple process of boiling and evaporation. Other volunteers were placed along the nature trails answering questions and telling stories about the history of the area and of the Nature Center itself.

Painted Turtle - Among the Rescued/Rehabilitated Animals

A Little Blandford History...

Many festival attendees were treated with the opportunity to converse personally with the wonderful Dr. Mary Jane Dockeray, the center's founder. As one these fortunate visitors, I was delightfully enlightened by a quick and colorful history of the nature center's beginning in the early childhood of Mary Jane Dockeray who, at a very young and curious age, often splashed in the streams and wandered through the woodlands that were later to become Blandford Nature Center. 

Live Blacksmith Demonstrations at Sugarbush

As an adult, Dr. Mary Jane Dockeray seized the opportunity to begin working for the city's museum; bringing together her love for nature and a desire that drove her to share that enthusiasm with others. 

Among the teachers and parents in the community, interest soon developed in having a place where city children could be safely taken into the forest to walk among the trees, wetlands, and wildlife. From her early days exploring the streams and walking the fields of Collins Farm, Dr. Dockeray knew of an idyllic setting that was close to the city and could provide the needed venue for education. 

The owner of this woodland (then called Collins Farm) was a man named Victor Blandford and it was he that made the initial donation of acreage that gave birth to the nature center that proudly bears his family name.

The rest of the story is something I'll let Dr. Mary Jane Dockeray tell you herself. ...some of this history is also available on the Blandford Nature Center's website.

A Little Maple Syrup Background...

Maple syrup is a sweet and sticky liquid usually made from the sap of maple trees. In northern climates, these trees store starch in their trunks and roots as they prepare for a long, harsh winter. Natural chemistry within the tree converts this starch into a sugary sap that begins to rise in the late winter and early spring. The prized syrup is collected by drilling small holes directly into the trunks of maple trees and collecting the sap which drips from the openings. The thin but sweet sap is processed by slowly boiling the liquid to evaporate much of the water and leave behind a concentrated syrup. Maple syrup is often poured over waffles, pancakes, french toast, and anything the stomach and tastebuds desire! 

Warm Feelings of Gratitude...

The first three photos in this blog were taken by me during the 2017 Sugarbush Festival. Each image was posted to Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook using the #BlandfordSugarbush hashtag. Blandford Nature Center had announced that they were eager to see all the photos taken during the event and asked people to use their hashtag. As a person who enjoys the outdoors and has a budding interest in photography, I decided to "take a chance" and let others see some of the pictures that I had taken that day.

Much to my pleasant surprise, when reviewing Facebook late Sunday evening (the day after the Sugarbush Festival), one of my images appeared in the newsfeed and it wasn't coming from my account. A feeling of gratitude and excitement warmed over me as I realized that one of my images had become a cover photo for Blandford Nature Center's 2017 Sugarbush Festival Facebook album. In the lower right-hand corner of the Nature Center's post (see image at right) was another one of my photographs and a third photograph (the painted turtle) was found inside the event's photo album.

Thank you Blandford Nature Center, and thank you Dr. Mary Jane Dockeray for holding such a wonderful Wintertime community event. Spring is just beginning and I am very much looking forward to spending the coming days exploring Blandford's many nature trails. The land slowly changes throughout the year as the seasons gradually evolve through their annual cycles. Come on out, join the fun, and experience some of the best of West Michigan!

Blandford Nature Center Resources

► Blandford Nature Center Website
► Blandford Nature Center Trail Map
► Blandford Nature Center Event Calendar
► Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Thanks for visiting. Please feel free to share this article, follow me on social media, and post your questions, concerns, and suggestions in the comment space below!

Get Outside!
Donald P. Watkins, Jr.
West Michigan, USA


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