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Maple Magic
Welcome to the Rogers Center website, managed by the Friends of Rogers. Since 2009, the Friends of Rogers have operated Rogers Center in cooperation with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. After exploring this page, please feel free to look around and discover all that Rogers Center has to offer, from volunteer opportunities to school field trips and more.
History & Background
Pre-1970’s: Long ago, stewards of the land that came to be known as Rogers Center began to cultivate and maintain our stand of glorious Sugar Maples. Their names have been forgotten, but their legacy remains in the Rogers Center Sugarbush.
2010-2017: Bruce Selleck, a legendary board member for the Friends of Rogers, dreams of a living laboratory where students and community members can participate in the making of maple syrup through educational programming.
2018-2022: With leadership support from the Community Foundation for South Central New York, Chris Bishop and Simon Solomon oversee the installation of a sap tank and tubing, then serve as the first sugar masters of the Rogers Center Sugarbush.
2021: Jessica Moquin, director of the Chenango County Historical Society (CCHS), pitches the idea of a Maple Sugar Heritage Collaboration, relocating the 1909 replica sugar shack from CCHS to Rogers Center, where it will come alive as a functional maple sugar shack.
2022: Clear Path for Veterans signs on as the primary volunteer support body for the Maple sugaring operation at Rogers Center, serving the community while benefitting from the eco-therapy effects of time spent in the woods and around the fire with veterans.
2022-2023: DCMO BOCES Carpentry Class, led by Eric Ingraham, deconstructs the sugar shack at CCHS, moves it to Rogers Center, and reconstructs the building with support from the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation.
2023: Chenango County Cornell Cooperative Extension donates an old wood-fired evaporator to Rogers Center, which is then refurbished with the help of volunteers and leadership of Jason King.
2024: Friends of Rogers and Colgate University partner on the first Community Based Study of Environmental Issues class, and produce the seminal research paper on Rogers Center and its role in the gift economy.
2025: Grand opening of the Rogers Center Sugar Shack at the 47th Winter Living Celebration.
Programming
The Sweet Science of Maple Sugaring: from tree to bottle!
Participants will discover the science behind one of nature’s sweetest traditions. This hands-on program explores how maple trees move sap, why trees are tapped in early spring, and how collected sap is evaporated into maple syrup. A visit to the sugar shack brings the process to life, and the experience ends with a maple syrup tasting that connects science, nature, and tradition. PROGRAM TYPICALLY OFFERED IN FEB & MARCH
This hour-long program can be offered to groups, school classes & organizations, with an option to tour the sugarbush with small groups. The cost is $8 per person. Let us know how we can adapt it for you!
Events
Each year, we fire up the evaporator, open the sugar shack, and showcase our Maple Magic programming at the annual Winter Living Celebration and Maple Sugar Heritage Weekend. To learn more, visit our events page by clicking the link below.
Partnerships
Clear Path for Veterans
Every Monday from November through March, Clear Path for Veterans and the Friends of Rogers host Maple Mondays. Volunteers gather, share coffee and conversation, and work together in the woods. Together, this group of veteran led volunteers maintain the nine acre sugar stand and prepare for sugaring season. To learn more about Clear Path and the services they provide, click the link below.
Colgate University
Each spring semester, the Friends of Rogers partner with Colgate University’s ENST 450 Class - Community Based Study of Environmental Issues. Three students define a research question, engage the community, and support the operation of the sugar shack. Past research papers can be found below.
Chenango County Historical Society
Thanks to the generosity and vision of the Chenango County Historical Society (CCHS), the Selleck Sugar Shack was relocated to Rogers Center where it has come alive as a living example of maple sugaring and community engagement. CCHS has further supported the project with interpretive signage development and staff support at the annual Animals of Halloween, Winter Living Celebration and Maple Sugar Heritage weekend.