Summer Camps at Beaver Creek

While it seems like the snow is never ending, summer will come before we know it and bring one of the best times of the year at Beaver Creek! It’s not too early to plan how you will get out to the reserve to enjoy the warm weather, and luckily, summer camp registration is already open. Summer camp opportunities are available for kids from grades kindergarten through 8th. Whether your camper dreams of a multi-day experience or a single-day excursion, there are options every child will love.

To take advantage of our most popular summer attraction, the Budding Butterflies camp is the perfect choice for kindergarteners and 1st graders! Campers will learn all about these beautiful insects native to the area in our very own butterfly house. By the end of the experience, they’ll tell you that they want to be a lepidopterist or a butterfly scientist when they grow up.

To get to know another kind of flying friend, 3rd through 5th graders will love Soaring Scientists. Campers will learn about what birds can be seen and heard in Beaver Creek. They will also get to meet our own bird ambassadors (am-bird-ssadors, if you will) and experience our bird banding program. Campers will come home able to identify the birds singing in their own backyard!

For older campers in 7th and 8th grade whose only wish is to get on the water, Outdoor Water Adventures will take them to do just that. Part of the day will be spent kayaking at Coon Fork Park, any experience level welcome. The rest of the day, campers will learn about Wisconsin’s fish and try their hand at catching some themselves.

Beaver Creek summer camps are an impactful experience that your child will remember forever! Camps are filling up fast! To see the full list of camp offerings and to register your child, visit our website here.

If you are interested in volunteering, spots may still be available. Email outreach@beavercreekreserve.org for more information.

Maple Syrup Beyond the Plate of Pancakes

If you grew up like me, you had a father who was adamant that only real maple syrup should be kept in the house. Even going in the near vicinity of so-called “breakfast syrup” in the grocery store was practically an act worthy of scorn. He can’t even be blamed ー nothing beats that authentic, maple, sticky goodness on a stack of pancakes in the morning.

But why should something so good be limited to just one dish? Maple syrup has four different grades, from golden to almost black, each with their own flavor profile, so there’s a kind of maple syrup for many things we make in the kitchen.

Coffee and tea

If you’re putting it on your pancakes, you might as well add it to your morning caffeine boost too. A bit of maple syrup in a cup of coffee or tea is a delicious, natural alternative to other kinds of sweetener. Experiment with the different grades of maple syrup and coffee roasts or tea blends to see which one makes your morning pick-me-up rival anything a cafe could put together.

Baked goods

Maple and baking go together like two peas in a pod. Like coffee, maple syrup can be used as an alternative sweetener that gives a maple-y boost to cookies, cake, and other sweet treats. If putting it on top is more your style, replace some of the liquid in your frosting or glaze with maple syrup. You can even forgo mixing it into anything and drizzle the plain syrup on top of whatever you like. It’ll definitely win the next baking contest you enter.

Baked beans?

This one surprised me too, but a quick search shows a multitude of recipes for baked beans sweetened with maple syrup, often with spices for a sweet and tangy flavor combination. It’s a Canadian classic that’s eaten at any meal of the day in any number of ways, including as a side or on toast. 

Drooling yet? If you’re just as excited about maple syrup as we are at Beaver Creek, you can join us this weekend for Maple Syrup Saturday! In this family-friendly event, you will learn everything you’ve ever wanted to know about the rich tradition of maple sugaring in the Chippewa Valley. You will even assist with tapping a tree and see where sap is turned into syrup! Register here to join us for a fun-filled day of nature and maple syrup!