The Monkton Museum and Historical Society will host the presentation “The Many Meanings of Maple” on Monday, August 15, 2016 at 7:00 p.m. at the Monkton Fire Station, 3747 State’s Prison Hollow Road. The presenter will be Champlain College Professor Michael Lange. The presentation sponsor is the Vermont Humanities Council under grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

The presentation examines the many meanings of maple sugaring. Maple is enormously important to Vermont's economy, ecology, and heritage. Professor Lange will discuss sugaring based on over five years of research among sugarmakers all over the state, to learn from them what sugaring really means to Vermont. Rather than discussing the practical aspects of sugaring, such as how to tap a tree or how an evaporator works, his talk will focus on how and why maple has become so important to Vermont's identity, and how and why it helps us shape who we are as Vermonters.

Dr. Michael Lange is a professor of anthropology and folklore. He has authored several academic works on cultural identity. His recent work draws on research with sugarmakers from across Vermont and includes “Foodie Influence on the Culinary Meanings of Maple Syrup” and “Sweet Bedfellows: Continuity, Change, and Terroir in Maple Syrup.” His most recent book, “Meanings of Maple,” is due out next year.

The presentation is free, accessible to people with disabilities, and open to everyone. Maple refreshments will follow the presentation. For more information, call Gill Coates at 802-482-2277 or email: monktonmhs@gmail.com.

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