Conservation/Natural Resources Management students brought the maple syrup while Culinary Arts students provided the pancakes.

The collaboration at Erie 2-Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCES was coordinated between Conservation instructor Taylor Beaver and Culinary Arts instructor David Caccamise.

Juniors and seniors spent the last few weeks producing the maple syrup. The process included collecting a large quantity of sap from several nearby trees before boiling it over the course of seven days.

All told, about 6 1/2 gallons of fresh maple syrup was made by Conservation students.

Caccamise, whose Culinary Arts students were able to witness a portion of the production process, suggested the pancake breakfast to Beaver.

“I asked wouldn’t it be great for you guys to make the syrup and we’ll make the pancakes?” Caccamise said of the joint breakfast.

Beaver said his students were eager to participate.

“The kids were excited about it, obviously. It sounded like fun to them,” he said.

Utilizing a gallon of the freshly made maple syrup, juniors enrolled in Conservation recently ventured to the Culinary Arts classroom, where stacks of pancakes were produced.

“It was a good experience for my kids and his kids to get together and mingle,” Caccamise said.

Beaver said each student in his class will receive a half-pint of maple syrup. The rest will be sold to assist the Future Farmers of America chapter at LoGuidice.

For more information on Career & Technical Education programs at E2CCB, visit e2ccb.org/programs/career-technical-education/