March weather is creeping in like a lion. But don’t let the snow discourage you from the sweet taste of spring.

The Sloatsburg Public Library will host a Monday afternoon program on Maple Sugaring and how it was done locally right in your backyard. Although the program is geared toward kids, it is open to all patrons. So, if you’ve ever wanted to learn about how to identify and tap a maple tree to produce that delicious sweet sap, Monday is as good as any day to learn.

The production of maple syrup in the northeast by the indigenous people of the region, specifically the Algonquians, is native agricultural technique. According to the North American Maple Syrup Producers Manual, the Algonquians tapped maple sap as a source of energy and nutrition.

At the beginning of the spring thaw, they used stone tools to make V-shaped incisions in tree trunks; they then inserted reeds or concave pieces of bark to run the sap into buckets, which were often made from birch bark.

All the kids who attend the program will receive their own spout and instructions on how to tap a maple tree. The program takes place at the Sloatsburg Public Library Monday, March 3, at 4:30 p.m. Please call the front desk at 845-753-2001 to register.