Cody Armstrong, a sugarmaker, volunteered at the event to connect with students he could hire as seasonal workers, during the busy late winter/early spring sugaring period.

“The technology wasn’t specifically generated to counter the impacts of climate change,” explained Eric Sorkin, the owner and producer at Runamok Maple.

As Vermont warms and hardier species can spread and dominate forests, the cold-adapted sugar maples may lose out in competition for sunlight, nutrients and growing space.

But improving forest health today can insulate the trees from the worst of these future conditions, says Mark Isselhardt, the University of Vermont extension maple specialist and another key organizer of the student event.

Maintaining a healthy and diverse sugarbush might not only help maple weather a changing climate, but it can also contribute to broader environmental health; the forests store carbon and provide a rich habitat for wildlife, especially migrating birds.

He likes learning all the new technology, things about process.” He brought a similar openness to the competition, helping other students fill out their scantrons as they took tests to demonstrate their maple knowledge.

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