Learn about the history and the scientific principles behind the sweet gift of nature that makes your short stack of flapjacks just that much better. Observe as volunteers and Eastman Nature Center naturalists demonstrate traditional harvesting methods that have stuck around through the centuries. Try your hand at turning a drill bit to start a tap. Gather around the cauldron, where a well-stoked blaze transforms the harvest from sap to syrup. Inside, enjoy a sample of last year’s yield and take in an educational slideshow presentation. Don’t miss the display of ingenious hand-crafted tools used by the earliest sap harvesters. Perhaps the most crucial take-away for residents of this city: be sure you know how to identify a maple tree. All ages. Free. Drop in anytime 1-4 p.m.  Eastman Nature Center, 13351 Elm Creek Road; 763.559.6700; threeriversparks.org.