032819 LCJ Maple Syrup Hike (CJ)

Candace H. Johnson-For Shaw Media Ja'mara Northington, 11, of Waukegan and Kathryn Hayley, of Lincolnshire say, "cheers," to the sugar maple tree as they drink its sap and sap turned into maple syrup during a presentation before taking a maple syrup hike at Ryerson Woods in Riverwoods. Ryerson Woods is part of the Lake County Forest Preserves. (3/24/19)

Candace H. Johnson-For Shaw Media Jon DeRisi, of Wonder Lake (on right) tries some sap and sap made into maple syrup with his daughter, Abigail, 8, and mother, Mary DeRisi, of Wichita, Kan., as they listen to a presentation before going out on a maple syrup hike at Ryerson Woods in Riverwoods. Ryerson Woods is part of the Lake County Forest Preserves. (3/24/19)

Candace H. Johnson-For Shaw Media Ryan Ngo, 7, of Lake Zurich watches sap come out of a sugar maple tree as it is collected into a bucket during a maple syrup hike at Ryerson Woods in Riverwoods. Ryerson Woods is part of the Lake County Forest Preserves. (3/24/19)

Candace H. Johnson-For Shaw Media Stancia Kalmus, of Lincolnshire, a volunteer, shows a leaf from a sugar maple tree before leading a group on a maple syrup hike at Ryerson Woods in Riverwoods. Ryerson Woods is part of the Lake County Forest Preserves. (3/24/19)

Candace H. Johnson-For Shaw Media Steve Avadek, of Northbrook and his son, Graydon, 3, look at sap coming out of a sugar maple tree through a spile into a bucket while Stancia Kalmus, of Lincolnshire, a volunteer, stops by the tree as she leads a group on a maple syrup hike at Ryerson Woods in Riverwoods. Avadek also had his son, Asher, 10, and daughter, Ellie, 7, with him. (3/24/19)

Candace H. Johnson-For Shaw Media Stancia Kalmus, of Lincolnshire, a volunteer, stops at a sugar maple tree where sap is collected and answers questions as she lead a group on a maple syrup hike at Ryerson Woods in Riverwoods. Ryerson Woods is part of the Lake County Forest Preserves. (3/24/19)

Candace H. Johnson-For Shaw Media Sap collected from a sugar maple tree using a spile is on display during a maple syrup hike at Ryerson Woods in Riverwoods. Ryerson Woods is part of the Lake County Forest Preserves. (3/24/19)

Candace H. Johnson-For Shaw Media Stancia Kalmus, of Lincolnshire, a volunteer, stops at a sugar maple tree where sap is being collected as she leads a maple syrup hike at Ryerson Woods in Riverwoods. Ryerson Woods is part of the Lake County Forest Preserves. (3/24/19)

Candace H. Johnson-For Shaw Media Richard and Belinda Wagner, of Grayslake count the rings on a section of a sugar maple tree on display to see hold old it is during a maple syrup hike at Ryerson Woods in Riverwoods. Ryerson Woods is part of the Lake County Forest Preserves. (3/24/19)

Candace H. Johnson-For Shaw Media Alyssa Firkus, of DesPlaines, education manager, feeds wood into a wood burning evaporator which turns sap into maple syrup after several hours at Ryerson Woods in Riverwoods. The evaporator is on display during the Maple Syrup Hikes through Ryerson Woods. Ryerson Woods is part of the Lake County Forest Preserves. (3/24/19)

Candace H. Johnson-For Shaw Media Stancia Kalmus, of Lincolnshire, a volunteer, stops to let visitors drill into a log from a sugar maple tree while leading the group on a maple syrup hike at Ryerson Woods in Riverwoods. Ryerson Woods is part of the Lake County Forest Preserves. (3/24/19)

Candace H. Johnson-For Shaw Media Stancia Kalmus, of Lincolnshire, a volunteer, lets a group of visitors try samples of sap and sap made into maple syrup before leading the group on a maple syrup hike at Ryerson Woods in Riverwoods. Ryerson Woods is part of the Lake County Forest Preserves. (3/24/19)

Candace H. Johnson-For Shaw Media Bottles of sap and maple syrup were on display after a maple syrup hike at Ryerson Woods in Riverwoods. Sap is mostly water and two percent is sugar which is boiled down to make maple syrup. It takes 40 gallons of sap to make 1 gallon of maple syrup. (3/24/19)