March 30 – Maple Sap Running – Seasonal Milepost

By the end of March, the maple trees begin to wake. Cold nights and warmer days create pressure changes inside the tree that cause the sap to flow. For this image, as soon as I hammered the tap into the sugar maple, sap began dripping from the spigot. I returned later at sunset for the right light. A small tap, a quiet forest, and a slow drip are among the surest signs that winter is losing its grip and spring is beginning to take hold.

Maple sap is mostly water, but within it are the sugars and minerals the tree stored during the previous summer. The sap has a very mild sweetness, almost like fresh spring water with just a hint of sugar. It takes about 40 gallons of sap to make one gallon of maple syrup.

In the Northland, running sap is a true seasonal milepost, marking both the change in weather and the renewal of life. Snow still lies in the woods, and nights are still cold, but the season has turned. It is comforting to know that the same flow of life is occurring in every tree and plant around us, even if we do not see it. Spring is no longer coming — it has begun, and with it comes the promise of new beginnings.

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” — John 15:5

Just as the sap rises quietly, life’s renewal often begins unnoticed, each drop carrying forward connection and promise. Learn from the trees, and they will tell a story of creation and provision — a true gift for today from the hand of God.