The Elusive Acer Saccharum—

Largest Living Tree Contest Begins Again

By Kendra Bobowick

Guy Peterson is searching the woods for the largest Acer saccharum he can find.

“Once it was a hickory, another time it was an ash, but the sugar maple had not been done in a while,” said Newtown Forest Association (NFA) Treasurer Guy Peterson.

The NFA is looking for the town’s largest living sugar maple (Acer saccharum) for this year’s tree search contest, he said. Postponed for the last few years, the search is on again to find the largest of this species. A winner will receive a cash prize of $250.

The front yard tree holding the tire swing or the mature maple casting shade across the patio could be a winner. One sugar maple has already garnered one sizable result.

As of this week the largest tree entered into the contest is 13 feet in circumference, Mr Peterson said.

Residents are welcome to make entries through August 15.

The contest specifically asks that entries include measurements taken around the trunk from at least 4.5 feet above ground level. Residents must also include clear and complete directions to the tree. An NFA member will confirm each entry. Visit newtownforestassociation.org/treecontest2006 for an online entry form.

Organized primarily for enjoyment, this contest holds several purposes said Mr Peterson.

“It’s for fun,” he said. “And, it’s really about awareness.”

He hopes the contest will eventually land the NFA in a classroom to “do some outreach,” he said.

Mr Peterson has a message about trees. He explained briefly about their value saying, “The roots prevent erosion, the trees filter the air; they’re a vital part of our environment.”

The New Englander business community can find additional value in the sugar maple. Locally, McLaughlin Vineyards is involved with producing maple syrup during the winery’s off-season.

Morgen McLaughlin said, “It’s more about celebrating the season and celebrating spring.” Profit is not part of her equation when she talks about tapping the trees.

She said, “People who do maple sugaring on a small scale don’t do it to make money…for us, it’s value added.” The maple syrup season picks up at the same time that the wine activity is “at a down time.”

From Valentine’s Day on, setting out the buckets for sap, “gets us excited,” she said.

In her case, the maple season is also nostalgic. “I have been doing it since I was a kid, and now our kids do it,” she said.

McLaughlin Vineyards goes beyond tapping its maples — anywhere between 75 and 400 trees seasonally — and further enhances the late February experience that continued for roughly six weeks. The vineyard offers maple demonstrations and tractor rides, she said.

“I think ours is more about education, learning what a sugar maple is.”

She said tour groups will ride the tractor, collect the buckets, “and have an appreciation for where the real maple syrup comes from as opposed to what they buy in the store.”

The Acer saccharum holds a prominent place in the states forests.

“It is the classic New England state tree,” said Jerry Milne with the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection, Forestry Division. Mr Milne is also a forester involved with the Paugussett State Forest sector off Alberts Hill Road near the McLaughlin Vineyard.

He explained that a sugar bush, or grove of the maples, is grown specifically for sap. Aside from being a source of sap for syrup, he listed several of the tree’s attributes, saying, “It’s good for food, lumber, shade.” He also explained it can thrive in the shade of other trees, it likes cold weather, and “grows from Pennsylvania north.”

McLaughlin Vineyards is a year-round farm dedicated to the production of quality wines and maple syrup in a natural environment. The 160-acre historic operation includes 15 acres of vineyards, a 2,500- case winery, hiking trails, wine education seminars, a sugarhouse, sugar maple trees, and even a 50-acre wildlife and bald eagle sanctuary.

The Newtown Forest Association is the oldest private land trust in Connecticut. It is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to accumulating and preserving open space and resources for public enjoyment. The NFA now owns approximately 1,000 acres that are preserved as open space for perpetuity. The NFA is also welcoming sponsors for this contest.